Ballads Of The Heart
by RaiPhoenix015
Summary: Last chapter updated! To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That’s why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again?
1. Queen Of My Heart

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**A/N:** Hi!!! The name's Rai and this is the first chappie of my second POT fic. I hope you like this one. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** Queen of My Heart by Westlife

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"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 1: Queen of My Heart**

No matter what he did the memory of their parting was still fresh in his mind. That day seven years ago, haunted his dreams and made him all the more aware of what he was missing.

_(Flashback seven years ago)_

_It was a rainy day that night at the park and for some odd reason; a young seven-year-old boy was sitting, waiting. He didn't seem to mind that he was wet and cold, or that his parents might be out looking for him. He just sat there and waited._

_The little boy looked at his waterproof watch and saw that it was 8 o'clock already and that the person he was waiting for will arrive soon._

_He was right._

_He heard the soft sound of running feet splashing against water and looked up to see a young girl his age skid to a stop before him, his best friend._

_She had red hair and green eyes and was wearing a sundress despite the rainy weather. Because of the huge red umbrella in her hand and the red scarf around her shoulders, she was relatively dry except for her shoes which were soaked due to all the running._

"_Sho-kun." She gasped as she saw her best friend soaking wet._

_He ignored the wet and cold and smiled as he stood up. "Tashi-chan, you came."_

_**So here we stand  
In our secret place  
With a sound of the crowd   
So far away  
And you take my hand  
And it feels like home   
We both understand  
It's where we belong**_

_"Of course, Sho-kun. Now come on, it's raining." She said as she placed the shade of the umbrella over her best friend. She wiggled out of the scarf and draped it clumsily over her companion. As she placed the scarf securely, she failed to notice him wince at contact._

"_So, what's the important news you wanted to tell me about, Sho-kun?" She smiled and held her best friend's hand._

_He stared at her beautiful eyes knowing that she won't be able to forgive him for what he was about to do._

**_So how do I say?  
Do I say goodbye?  
We both have our dreams  
We both wanna fly  
So let's take tonight  
To carry us through  
The lonely times  
_**

"_Sho-kun, what's wrong? Why do you look so sad? You're scaring me."_

_Acting by impulse, he hugged her. "Sorry Tashi-chan, I was just thinking about something."_

_She pouted cutely. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything Sho-kun."_

_He took a deep breath. It's now or never._

"_I'm sorry Tashi-chan, but this is one secret I can't tell you."_

**_I'll always look back  
As I walk away  
This memory  
Will last for eternity  
And all of our tears  
Will be lost in the rain  
When I've found my way  
Back to your arms again  
But until that day   
You know you are  
The queen of my heart  
_**

_**  
Queen of my heart **_

_She looked up at him with teary eyes._

"_But why, Sho-kun? We always tell each other everything."_

_He sighed and ran a hand through his hair._

"_Tashi-chan, I want you to know that you're the closest and bestest friend I've ever had."_

"_Sho-kun, you're really scaring me."_

**_So let's take tonight  
And never let go  
While dancing we'll kiss   
Like there's no tomorrow  
As the stars sparkle down  
Like a diamond ring  
I'll treasure this moment  
Till we meet again  
_**

"_Tashi-chan…"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_We can't be friends anymore."_

_She gasped and dropped the umbrella._

**_But no matter how far  
(Matter how far)  
Or where you may be   
(Where you may be)  
I just close my eyes  
(I just close my eyes)  
And you're in my dreams  
And there you will be  
Until we meet  
_**

"_What? We've always been friends ever since I moved here. What's wro-"_

"_Stop it!!!" He shouted, surprising the young girl. "We can't be friends anymore, we just can't!!!"_

_Silence reigned as the two looked at each other. The only thing they heard was the sound of the rain._

_Finally she asked the dreaded question._

"_Why?"_

**_I'll always look back  
As I walk away  
This memory  
Will last for eternity  
And all of our tears  
Will be lost in the rain  
When I've found my way  
Back to your arms again  
But until that day   
You know you are  
The queen of my heart  
_**

_The young boy looked into her eyes filled with pain._

"_I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."_

_The next thing he knew, she slapped him hard across the face._

"_I hate you, Fuji Syuusuke."_

_She then turned around and ran away._

_**I'll always look back  
As I walk away  
This memory  
Will last for eternity  
And all of our tears  
Will be lost in the rain  
When I've found my way  
Back to your arms again  
But until that day   
You know you are  
The queen of my heart  
**_

_Fuji stared at Tanisha's retreating back. He was sorry for hurting her and he wanted, more than anything, to take it back…but he can't. What's done is done. He won't be surprised if she decides never to forgive him, much less talk to him again._

_But if only she knew why he did it._

_He did it because he was scared._

**_Oh yeah  
You're the  
Queen of my heart  
(Of my heart)  
No matter  
How many years it takes  
(Queen of my heart)  
I'll give it all to you  
Oh yeah  
(Queen of my heart)  
Oh yes you are_**

_He picked up the umbrella, wrapped the soaked scarf tightly around him and started the long lonely walk home._

"_Tashi, if you only knew how much I like you."_

**_The queen of my heart_**

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A/N: What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Please read and review.

Rai

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	2. Going Back Home

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**A/N:** Hi!!! The name's Rai and this is my second chappie. I hope you like it. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for this chapter

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"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 2: Going Back Home  
**

Ugh. Stupid plane. Stupid trip. Stupid move. Stupid company. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Everyhting's stupid!!!

Okay. Okay. I know it's unfair to be angry at everything, but it's all my dad's fault anyway!!!

How can he do this to his own flesh and blood?

I've never done anything wrong. I'm a good student and a good daughter!!!

Okay maybe I'm not that good. I think dad still owed my previous school a lot of money for that unfortunate 'accident'. I mean, blowing up part of the gym is expensive. Something even my dad will have a little teeny-weeny trouble in paying.

You're probably wondering what happened and how I managed to blow up half the gym. It didn't exactly blow up, it's more like 'burn out'.

Did you know hydrogen is flammable? If not, I'm telling you know that hydrogen is flammable.

There's this really annoying girl at school who thought she's 'all that'. I mean, how conceited is that? Not like me. I know I'm the best thing that's ever happened to mankind and that I'm absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, to-die-for sexy and irresistibly hot, but I'm modest and absolutely humble.

Nah. Just pulling your leg.

But anyway, we were all in the gym waiting for our teacher to come and Little Miss 'I'm-All That' was boasting about how she had hair done...while SMOKING!!! Which is a big no-no, since she's only 15 (there's a rumor going around that she fell back a grade)

I was standing to one side with my BFF and...well...I couldn't take any more of her irritating voice and the smell of the smoke. I saw a tank nearby and decided to 'air' her out. I thought it was only oxygen and set it low enough so that it would only blow out the cigarette and her head...um...hair.

Apparently I pushed the wrong lever making it go high and didn't know it was hydrogen...so...

Let's just say a BIG fire started and Miss 'I'm-All-That' is going to have to wait for her hair to grow back.

My dad's usually understanding and puts up with my antics and such, but, to put it simply, he didn't understand and he decided to not put up with what I did.

Which is so unfair!!! I mean, come on. I'm his kin. He should worry about me being safe rather than a dinky old gym.

Anyway, thanks to my little 'accident' my father decided to transfer the head of the company from Los Angeles all the way to its branch in Japan. So the company moved...and we moved with it.

So that's why I'm here now. In a plane with my dad going to Japan...and I have to start in a new school. Bummer.

"Tanisha, stop frowning."

I tossed my waist-length fiery red hair over my shoulder and looked at my dad. "What do you expect dad? That I'm going to jump for joy because you separated me from my home and my friends and-"

"Tanisha stop being a drama queen." Hamada Akio simply turned to the next page of his newspaper.

"You know. As a parent, it is your duty to listen to whatever you're daughter has to say."

"Well not if my daughter is speaking through her ears."

I looked at him, my jade green eyes confused. "What the heck does that mean?"

A smile tugged on her father's lips. "It means, daughter dear, saying things that don't really make sense and are therefore complete nonsense."

I pouted and crossed my arms. "I so do not speak nonsense!"

"Oh really." Akio put down his newspaper momentarily. "What about the time you ran around the house shouting 'Banana' for no reason at all, the time you slept in the couch and started muttering something about 'Killer Bananas' and the time you repeatedly shouted 'Bananas' when I gave you that laptop you desperately wanted."

"So I love bananas. Anyway, what's your point?"

My dad chuckled and patted me on the head.

"Dad, I am not trying to be funny! I'm serious!"

"Suuuure you are."

I leaned back on my seat and looked out the window. I couldn't help smiling.

I'm glad my dad's finally gotten over the death of my mom. I know it was really painful for him to lose mom but I'm glad he's moved on and loosened up his hold on me.

You see, I was actually born and raised in Japan. When I was five, there was a hit-and-run accident and my mom was...well...the hit-and-run victim. Dad, who was heartbroken, practically wouldn't let me go out of the house for fear I'll end up like mom. But when I turned seven, we decided to move to L.A. and start over. Now my dad's fully recovered and is one of the coolest and best dads ever.

He has to keep cool to put up with me, but never mind that.

And that's the only reason why we moved...

Which is a lie.

Sigh. The truth is, we moved partly because I wanted to, but that's a whole different story all together!!!

Besides, it's not as if I'll be seeing him again anyway. That stupid jerk.

But on the inside I was happy. I missed Japan so much!!!

It'll be great to go back HOME!!!

I honestly think that going back is one of the best ideas my dad has ever had, even if it was due to my 'accidents'.

* * *

From across the continent a certain light-haired tensai turned off his radio. He sighed and tried to focus on his assignments but for some odd reason he couldn't concentrate.

He sighed again and looked out the window of his bedroom, his thoughts drifting towards a certain 14-year-old redhead with the most magnetic jade green eyes he's ever seen.

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A/N: What do you think? Please read and review.

Here's a little preview on the next chappie:

"Going back to Japan has got to be my dad's worst idea EVER!!!"

"I didn't expect to see you again."

"Believe me, the last thing I want is to see your face."

Rai

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	3. School Bound

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**A/N:** Hi!!! The name's Rai and this is my third chappie. Yey! I'm glad so many people like my fic. Thank you to all those who reviewed. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for this chapter, too

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"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 3: School Bound**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Finally. After several grueling hours on that flying can of sardines...I am free!!!

But I have to admit, flying first class was sooooo nice.

Ahem, anyway...I pulled out my pack and caught up to Dad and the other passengers heading out the plane.

"Tanisha come on or you'll get left behind."

I ran over to Dad.

"Dad I'm a big girl. I'm not gonna get lost. Trust me."

My Dad simply sighed before leading me into the airport to get our luggage and find our ride.

Honestly, doesn't he trust me at all?

(After a few minutes...)

Oh my God!!! I'm LOST!!!

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

I know I said I wasn't going to get lost, but come on! It's a large airport with a gazillion people! How was I supposed to know that the man I had followed for five minutes was only this bald guy wearing the same colored jacket as my Dad?

So my dad isn't bald, but I was busy trying not to get squished by all the people to notice the man's hair. Okay?

I looked around...and around...and around...and...

Ohhh, I think I'm getting dizzy...

Wait. What was the last thing Daddy told me before his look-alike got me lost?

_"Tanisha, if ever you do get lost, I'll meet you by the terminal."_

Oh yeah. The terminal. In other words, the place where we get the luggage.

I looked around (for the last time) and spotted the place where I need to go. So I hooked my bag up my shoulder and headed there.

I sighed. Come on. I need to hurry and find Dad.

I finally reached the terminal and saw the conveyor belt with all the bags and stuff riding it around and around.

I then saw a dark blue bag with silver linings and a monogrammed HT at the side. I cheered. It was mine!

I went over to it and grabbed it just as a familiar hand grabbed it as well.

I looked up.

"Umm...Hi Dad!!!"

"Tanisha. Thank goodness."

Dad placed an arm around my shoulders and sighed in relief.

"I told you you'll get lost."

I pouted. "Dad, I did not get lost. I just accidentally 'took a wrong turn'."

"Dear, that is the same as getting lost."

"Oh yeah. Anyway, sorry about that."

"It's fine, but come on. The limo is waiting."

Ooohhh...limo...classy. Not that I'm still not used to riding in one.

After a few more minutes Dad and I are (finally) in the limo.

I noticed my Dad's odd smile.

"Okay. Number one, what's the surprise? Number two, am I going to love it? Or number three, I'm going to hate it and shout like a girl? Regardless of the fact that I AM a girl."

Akio shook his head.

"The answer to number one is I'm not telling you. Number two and number three...hmmm...it depends."

"How come when you said that, I felt it to be number three?"

"Like I said, it depends."

Man, my Dad is so stubborn. He obviously got it from me anyway.

I sat back on thought about what the surprise might be.

Little did I know that it'll be the LAST thing I'll ever expect.

* * *

Going back to Japan has got to be my dad's worst idea EVER!!! 

I mean, that man has obviously gone INSANE for even thinking of moving just to punish me.

He could've just taken away my TV, my phone, my Ipod, my laptop...wait...not the laptop...everything I own but the laptop.

This is cruel and inhuman punishment!!!

"Daddy, when was the last time I told you I loved you?"

"Not since fifteen seconds ago."

"Ummm...I wanna compliment you on the fine job you did of raising me."

Dad looked at me.

"To tell you the truth, I actually think I failed. Now come on."

Dad grabbed my hand and pulled me.

"NO!!! N-O!!! No no no no no!!! Daddy, I love you!!! Please no!!!"

"Tanisha, what is so bad about this?"

"Daddy, are you serious?! It's..." I shuddered. "SCHOOL!!! Since when is school NOT bad?!"

Dad sighed with frustration.

"Tanisha, since when have you ever been afraid of school?"

"Since now."

Akio shook his head.

"Do you know how much I paid for this?"

"Well, get a refund. Daddy this is COLLEGE for goodness' sake!!!"

"Dear, you'll fit right in."

"Dad, look at me."

I did a 360-degree turn.

"I'm hip. I'm cool. I'm hot. I rock. Now look at them."

I pointed at the few college kids in the grounds. They were hanging around and were talking about something or another.

"They're nerds. They're ancient. They're uncool. They're geeks."

I know. I sound mean. But come on!!! They're third year college, and I'm only a senior.

You see, the thing is...I'm a genius.

I know. Shocking isn't it?

I know I don't look like it or act like it, but I AM a genius.

I'm not a freaky scientific genius girl, I'm more like my-favorite-and-best-subjects-are-math-and-science girl.

It's true. I'm like a mathemagician and a bona fide scientist, chemist, whatever-ist. I'm supposed to accelerate about a year or two because of my brains, but I turned it down.

I know they say, "Take advantage of your talents." but all I want to have is a normal life.

That's why I act like a bimbo and a lunatic. It encourages people to take advantage of me...and then I beat them.

But seriously, I would rather have everybody think of me as an airhead and then possibly frighten them when I show them how good I am, rather than a freaky genius. No offense to all the geniuses out there.

That's probably one of my Dad's frustrations about me.

"Tanisha, I'll make you a deal."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"I already anticipated that you would disagree, which is why you'll still attend college, BUT only extra math, science and music lessons."

Hmm...Dad's finally getting to know me after fourteen years. I'm so proud.

"Ok. Fine. That's better than actually going-"

He then dropped the bombshell.

"The real surprise is that, you'll still have to attend HIGH SCHOOL."

"What?!"

Oh great. Just when I thought I'm free.

Except for those extra classes, I would've been F-R-E-E.

"Okay, SUPPOSE I do agree. Where will I go?"

Dad took a pamphlet out from his jacket and handed it to me.

I read it.

"Seishun Gakuen? Hmmm...Sounds familiar."

"Did I mention that your ex-bestfriend goes there to school?"

I stared at him.

"WWWWHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?????!!!!!!!!"

Yup, like I said. Going back to Japan has got to be my dad's worst idea EVER!!!

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**A/N:** There. I know I implied a certain somebody's long awaited appearance, but I sorta miscalculated. Sorry. 

I'll put up the next chapter soon. Thanks for everything guys. Plese read and review.

Love yah!!!

Rai

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	4. Chain Reaction

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**A/N:** Hi!!! The name's Rai and this is my fourth chappie. Thank you to all those who reviewed.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:**To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song: **Chain Reaction by STEPS (If you haven't heard this song check out my profile for links)

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"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 4: Chain Reaction**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Okay...What am I doing here again?

Oh yeah.

I'm in SCHOOL.

UGH!!!

_**You took a mystery**_

_**And made me want it**_

_**You got a pedestal**_

_**And put me on it**_

_**You made me love you**_

_**Out of feeling nothing**_

_**Something that you do, oh**_

I patted my Ipod hidden in my pocket.

Good thing for the music.

This is just another school to go to and possibly get in trouble and possibly convince my Dad to move to Italy.

Italy...hmmm...I love that place.

I walked towards the school building, ignoring the looks on the other students faces.

Seriously, haven't they seen a new student before?

Or maybe it's because of the fact that I semi-demolished their school uniform.

The thing is that green is SO not my color. It clashes with my hair AND my fashion sense. Plus I AM NOT feeling the pink bow.

I know. I know. Call me spoiled princess, but PUH-LEASE, you gotta admire my rebellious streak.

Anyway, as I'm sure you're all curious as to what I'm wearing...

I ripped off the sleeves of my blouse and put on a black vest with a silver design of HT on the top right pocket. I ditched the pink bow three seconds after I saw the uniform and replaced it with a red tie with a black SG design on it. I couldn't do anything about the skirt so I left that on, except for the fact that I placed on a black belt for fashion purposes.

I've always felt black to be more my color.

_**And I was there not**_

_**Dancing with anyone**_

_**You took a little then**_

_**You took me over**_

_**You set your mark on**_

_**Stealing my heart away**_

_**Crying trying**_

_**Anything for you**_

I walked towards the school and headed for the office.

You might be wondering how the hell I knew where the office was.

Let me put it to you this way. When you're rich, it's easy to get information.

I knocked and walked in.

The secretary stared at me and looked at my clothing with disgust.

I simply grinned.

"You know Aiko-san, I don't like that look of disgust."

Aiko (as I found out her name to be) looked shocked.

"How dare y-"

"Hamada-san!!!"

_**I'm in the middle of**_

_**A chain reaction**_

_**(Chain reaction)**_

_**You give me all the**_

_**After midnight action**_

_**(Don't pass me by)**_

_**I wanna get you**_

_**Where I can let you**_

_**Make all that love to me**_

I peered around bored and saw the principal and vice-principal walk out the principal's office.

The principal, Nakamura-sensei, walked up to me while the vice-principal lectured the silly secretary.

"Um...I apologize for my secretary's rudeness Hamada-san."

I don't like him calling me that. It makes me feel as if he's seeing Dad and not me.

"It's Tanisha, Nakamura-sensei."

The old man nodded and wiped his sweaty brow, just as the tall and feminine vice-principal, Tanaka-sensei, walked over.

She gave me a fake smile.

"Hello, Tanisha. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

I nodded. When are they going to understand that all forms of compliments don't affect me.

"Umm...Tanisha," She spoke. "You...um...do know that changing the dress code...is...um...against the rules?"

The principal gave her a stern look.

They both knew that I'm the rich, genius and ONLY daughter of THE richest man in Los Angeles. Displeasing me wasn't wise.

_**I'm on a journey**_

_**For the inspiration**_

_**(Inspiration)**_

_**To anywhere and**_

_**There ain't no salvation**_

_**(Don't make me cry)**_

_**I need you to get me**_

_**Nearer to you**_

_**So you can set me free**_

The two then started whispering, although you can't call it whispering since I can hear them above the noise in my headphones.

"She can't-"

"She can. You do know who she is."

"But we have to give students equal rights."

"She isn't just any other student."

I waved.

"Um...hello? I'm still here."

"Well...um...Tanisha, you see," Nakamura-sensei tried to explain. "The clothes and the headphones go against the rules, you see. And..."

I shook my head and sighed.

"I'll see what I can do."

AS IF.

_**We talk about love, love, love**_

_**We talk about love**_

_**We talk about love, love, love**_

_**We talk about love**_

Thank goodness. They are FINALLY leading me to my designated room. I had made no move to remove any accessory on me and both have no guts to tell me otherwise.

I mostly ignored them and listened more on the music in my ears.

They're probably just complimenting me. AGAIN.

They led me to a room and before we went in, they called out the teacher and introduced me. And as expected, she floundered about and was practically kissing my feet.

"Ok...Tanisha...um...Come on in."

I went in after the teacher. She clapped her hands and asked for their attention.

All eyes reverted to me, including one person.

I vaguely saw his usually-closed eyes widen at the sight of me, but I ignored him and focused on the rest of the students who were looking at me curiously.

_**You make me tremble**_

_**When your hand moves lower**_

_**(When you're in love)**_

_**You taste a little**_

_**Then you follow slower**_

_**(When you're in love)**_

_**Nature has a way**_

_**Of yielding treasure**_

_**Pleasure made for you**_

For some reason, I felt really weird when I heard that particular stanza erupt from my Ipod.

The teacher introduced me.

"Everyone, this is Hamada Tanisha. She's a new student and I hope you'll treat her well."

She paused and I took it as a cue to speak. From the corner of my eye I saw HIM looking at me intently.

I sighed. "The name's Hamada Tanisha. I'm 14. I moved here from Los Angeles, as punishment for burning down my old school's gym..."

I saw most of them wince and started to whisper about me.

I smirked and continued. "My hobbies include blackmailing people, surfing the Internet, threatening people, listening to music, and beating up people. I hate everybody except my Dad, Hamada Akio, and the person I hate the most is..."

I pointed.

"Him."

_**You gotta plan your future**_

_**Is on the run**_

_**Shine a light for**_

_**The whole world over**_

_**You never find your love**_

_**If you hide away**_

_**Crying dying**_

_**All you gotta do is**_

I don't have to mention HIS name since it's obvious that you already know who he is.

I ignored the blank look on his face and turned back to the crowd.

"Any questions?"

Several hands went up. I pointed to a guy sitting in the back row. I noticed him previously talking to his buddies near the back.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

I cocked my head to the side.

"No, and I'm NOT available."

Another girl with thick make-up raised her hand.

"What is up with those clothes?"

I smirked and did a twirl in front of them. Some of the guys were drooling.

Did I mention that even if I didn't exactly tamper with the skirt, I still cut it a few inches shorter?

"More fashionable than yours I should say."

She huffed and asked.

"Ma'am, is that even allowed?"

_**Get in the middle of**_

_**A chain reaction**_

_**(Chain reaction)**_

_**You get a medal when**_

_**You're lost in action**_

_**(Don't pass me by)**_

_**I wanna get your love**_

_**All ready for the**_

_**Sweet sensation**_

_**Instant radiation**_

The music from my Ipod is very much appropriate. I'm in the middle of a chain reaction right now, as the other girls and guys questioned the teacher.

"...Um...well, you see...Tanisha is new...so she still doesn't know the rules..."

I scoffed. "Oh please. The principal and vice-principal questioned me and I got away with it."

That earned the teacher more complaints.

While everyone was busy harassing the teacher, I looked over their heads into the eyes of the very person I hate.

Fuji Syuusuke.

I glared at him.

"Everyone, calm down!!! Tanisha please just take your seat!!!"

I made my way past the students, all of whom were still looking at me, and sat in the only vacant seat.

The chair right in front of Fuji.

_**You let me hold you**_

_**For the first explosion**_

_**(First explosion)**_

_**We get a picture of**_

_**Our love in motion**_

_**(Don't make me cry)**_

_**My arms will cover my lips**_

_**Will smother you**_

_**(Sooner or later)**_

_**With no more left to say**_

I sat down and tossed my bag to the side.

Once the teacher's back was turned, I didn't hesitate to turn around in my chair.

I met his electric blue eyes.

"Sho-kun."

He smiled, with his eyes still open.

"Tashi-chan."

We glared at each other for a while. I noticed his seatmate, a redhead with a band-aid on his face, staring at both of us back and forth.

"I didn't expect to see you again."

I smirked at that.

"Believe me, the last thing I want is to see your face."

Fuji's eyes darkened.

"Tashi-chan, if you're still angry at me about what happened seven years ago-"

I cut him off.

"First of all, it's Hamada. I'm not allowing you to even say my name. Second...damn straight I'm still angry."

"Tanisha, answer the question!!!"

I gave him one last glare and walked towards the board.

_**We talk about love, love, love**_

_**We talk about love**_

_**You let me hold you**_

_**For the first explosion**_

_**My arms will cover you**_

It was a math problem. Tsk. So easy.

I gave it a look, grabbed the chalk, and wrote the correct answer on both blackboards in fifteen seconds flat.

I know I usually hide my genius genes, but I'm too angry to mind.

I walked back to my chair. On the way back I noticed the clock placed on the wall at the back of the classroom.

I sat in my chair and faced Fuji.

"Tanisha-" The teacher tried to speak.

"Oh, Shut it!!!" I said without a backwards glance.

_**All you gotta do is**_

_**Get in the middle of**_

_**A chain reaction**_

_**(Chain reaction)**_

_**You get a medal when**_

_**You're lost in action**_

_**(Don't pass me by)**_

_**I wanna get your love**_

_**All ready for the**_

_**Sweet sensation**_

_**Instant radiation**_

I faced Fuji head-on, ignoring the teacher and the students who were looking straight at us.

"This is far from over, Fuji."

He looked me straight in the eyes, an annoying smile still on his face, though I can see the anger (and even hurt?) in his eyes.

"I'm not expecting it to be over, TASHI-chan."

Then the bell rang.

I stood up.

"See you at lunch."

_**You let me hold you**_

_**For the first explosion**_

_**(First explosion)**_

_**We get a picture of**_

_**Our love in motion**_

_**(Don't make me cry)**_

_**My arms will cover my lips**_

_**Will smother you**_

_**(Sooner or later)**_

_**With no more left to say**_

I walked out the room, frustration welling up inside me.

I hate him so much!!!

I didn't bother going to my next class. It was English class and I could ace that no problem.

I instead headed for the library.

I love going to the library. There are a lot of books and it's peaceful, perfect for sorting out my thoughts.

I walked in. The librarian glanced at me and ignored me.

She must know me, just like the other teachers.

I walked towards a table near the window where a girl my age was sitting all alone. I plopped down on it, startling her.

_**All you gotta do is**_

_**Get in the middle of**_

_**A chain reaction**_

_**(Chain reaction)**_

_**You get a medal when**_

_**You're lost in action**_

_**(Don't pass me by)**_

_**I wanna get your love**_

_**All ready for the**_

_**Sweet sensation**_

_**Instant radiation**_

"Um...ano..."

I looked her. She was fairly pretty with chestnut brown hair and baby-pink eyes. She was, of course, wearing the standard uniform although I did notice something odd...

I pointed at her leg.

"Is that a dragon tattoo in your right thigh?"

She yelped and pulled down her skirt, which she didn't notice had hiked up her waist.

"Um..."

"Nah, don't worry. I won't report you or anything, I actually think it looks cool. And don't worry, I'm not hitting on you or anything."

She sighed and relaxed a bit.

"The name's Tanisha, you?" I held out my hand.

She took it with a smile.

"Sasaki Yumiko. It's a pleasure Ta-"

"Please feel free to call me Aki, most of my friends back in America do anyway."

_**You let me hold you**_

_**For the first explosion**_

_**(First explosion)**_

_**We get a picture of**_

_**Our love in motion**_

_**(Don't make me cry)**_

_**My arms will cover my lips**_

_**Will smother you**_

_**(Sooner or later)**_

_**With no more left to say**_

Yumiko looked confused. "America?"

I smiled as I pulled off my headphones and stowed away my Ipod.

"I'm a new student. I moved from Los Angeles."

She nodded. "Oh, I apologize for not welcoming you to Seigaku."

I waved that away.

"It's fine, Yumi-chan. But anyway, what's the deal with the tattoo?"

Yumiko slowly pulled up the skirt, just enough to show me the black dragon tattoo.

And HELLO!!! We're girls here, so no dirty thoughts!!!

"Wow!!! Cool!!!"

Yumiko simply nodded and pulled down her skirt.

"It was...ano...a gift."

I noticed that when she said it she sounded sad for some reason.

Oh no. CHANGE TOPIC ALERT!!!

"So Yumi-chan, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

She shook her head, sending her brown hair flying.

"I have a free period."

"Oh I see. So anyway, tell me about yourself."

And that's how I met my first ever REAL best friend and not some fake one who only hurts me in the end.

A small part of my brain reminded me about Fuji, and the fact that we'll be talking later.

Well, whatever is going to happen later...

I'm ready for him.

* * *

**A/N: **There. Whew!!! This is a whole lot longer than usual, but I had fun making it. I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I can.

Get ready for the showdown between the ex-bestfriends.

Thanks for everything guys. Please read and review.

Love yah!!!

Rai

* * *


	5. You and Me

* * *

**A/N:** Hi!!! Hey guys!!! I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that this chapter finally features the meeting between the Tanisha and Fuji. The bad news is that this will be the last chapter I'll post for a few days!!!...Aw man!!! You see, the family and I are going on a trip for a few days and all we're going to do is relax and enjoy...So, I'm sorry, but no chapters for a little while...Sorry!!!

But nonetheless, I hope this chapter can help you get through the days and comfort me that I left a chapter that'll keep the people happy.

Bye!!! I'll see you guys soon!!!

Love lots,

Rai

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:**To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** You and Me by Lifehouse(If you haven't heard this song check out my profile for links)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 5: You and Me**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Well, here it is.

The Showdown.

And there's no way I'm backing down.

I know I'm making it sound like some kind of battle but that's how I feel.

I haven't given Fuji a single thought ever since I left seven years ago, and here I am seven years later actually feeling all emotional and...just...so confused!!!

I headed up to the rooftop. I don't have to worry about Fuji because he had always known that I love going up the rooftop in our old school.

I paused as I neared the railing. The warm air and sunshine greeted me as I looked down at the people, and at a lone sakura tree at the corner of the grounds.

A distant memory suddenly surfaced in my mind.

_"Ne, Sho-kun!!!"_

_My bestest best best friend in the whole world looked at me._

_"What is it, Tashi-chan?"_

_I looked up at the sky. We were sitting down at our favorite spot in the park, under our very own sakura tree which we named Sachi._

_I looked back at him. "I want you to promise me something, Sho-kun."_

_He smiled at me and nodded._

_"Sure, what is it?"_

_"Promise me that we'll always be bestfriends and that Sachi will only be our spot."_

_He nodded and we linked our pinkies together._

_"As Sachi as our witness, I, Fuji Syuusuke, promise to be bestfriends with Tashi-chan forever and ever and that Sachi will only be ours."_

_I giggled at him. "Ok. I, Hamada Tanisha, promise to be bestfriends with Sho-kun forever and ever and ever and ever and that Sachi will only be ours."_

I shook my head and the memory dissolved in my mind.

Come on Tanisha.

Remember, you're Aki now and not Tashi-chan. Everybody calls you Aki now and Tashi-chan is long gone.

If that's so, then how come I'm still holding onto those memories?

No, no, no. I'm not the same girl I was back then.

I'm different now.

The shy, demure, little Japanese girl who was always quiet and well-mannered is gone.

There's only me, the American girl, confident, rebellious, loud and always in control of everything...

Except for her own feelings.

I sighed.

Get a grip. You can't break down, you can't and you won't.

I sat down with my back to the wall and crossed my legs.

I don't know what's happening to me. All it took was one meeting with Sho- I mean Fuji and now I'm so high-strung.

_CREAK_

I looked up.

I couldn't stop a sigh of relief from escaping as I saw Yumiko.

"Ano...Aki-chan?"

I smiled. "Hey, Yumi-chan. Is anything wrong?"

Yumiko sat beside me and smiled as she handed me an obento from her pack.

"Well, you disappeared when the lunch bell rang so I went to look for you. I heard that you went to the rooftop, so I came up here."

I smiled gratefully. We only met less than an hour ago, but Yumiko's already a great friend.

I took the obento and we ate in silence.

"So...ano...is it true that you're meeting Fuji here?"

I only sighed and leaned back.

"Yeah."

I'm not surprised. I knew that word will spread soon enough.

Then for some reason, I broke down and told her everything...and I do mean everything, even the fact that I'm so confused and slightly scared and that for some reason, I'm so emotional!!!

Yumi-chan only nodded at times and simply smiled comfortingly.

When I was done ranting, we sat in silence.

Then she spoke.

"Aki-chan, I know we've just met but I hope you don't mind me saying so..."

"Please," I cut her off. "Just help me and tell me what's wrong with me."

Yumi-chan simply smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Aki-chan, I think you-"

_CREAK_

Oh great!!! Just when I was going to find out what the hell's wrong with me, he shows up!!!

I stood up and helped Yumi-chan clean up.

I smiled at her.

"Yumi-chan, I'll talk to you later, k?"

She nodded before walking past me, and as she did she slipped a paper in my hand.

"Call me." She whispered before disappearing through the doorway heading down.

I walked towards the edge and propped my arms on the railing, purposely ignoring him.

_**what day is it**_

_**and in what month**_

_**this clock never seemed so alive**_

I felt his stare and heard his footsteps as he stood beside me.

Silence...

Then, I felt my body move.

_SLAP_

_**I can't keep up**_

_**and I can't back down**_

_**I've been losing so much time**_

His long hair covered part of his face as his face turned sideways from the force of my palm.

I struggled to speak, but my voice went out low and breathy.

"There. I guess that speaks volumes."

I turned, ready to leave.

This didn't come out like I wanted to, but I had to leave or else my feelings might get the better of me.

Suddenly he grabbed my arm.

I stared at him, his eyes open letting me see his electric blue orbs. I was frozen.

Then, of all things he chuckled.

"I guess I do deserve that."

_**cause it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**with nothing to do**_

_**nothing to lose**_

_**and it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**and I don't know why**_

_**I can't keep my eyes off of you**_

"You think?"

I glared, but can't help stare at the smile, the real smile, I haven't seen in years.

Then he let go of me and sat down with a smile. I stared.

"Seven long years." He said without looking me. "Seven long years of thinking about what I did and regretting it and then suddenly you came along."

I started.

"Regretting it?"

He looked up, a melancholy look on his face and a hurt look in his eyes.

Seven years ago I prided myself on being the only person, other than his family, to actually see his eyes without forcing him. I prided myself on knowing exactly what he was thinking and what he was feeling. I prided myself on knowing the real Fuji Syuusuke, the real him that nobody ever knows or sees.

Now, I feel unsure. I don't want to know him anymore. I don't want to know what he's thinking, like I do now. I don't want to know what he's feeling, like I do know.

Most of all, I don't want to feel about him what I'm feeling now.

_**all of the things that I want to say**_

_**just aren't coming out right**_

_**I'm tripping inwards**_

_**you got my head spinning**_

_**I don't know where to go from here**_

He smiled bitterly.

"Regret. That's all I've felt these past years."

I found myself sitting down beside him.

I hate how much I'm a softie when it comes to him.

"Well, why did you do it?"

He looked at me and I looked at him.

"Why did you stop being friends with me?"

_**cause it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**with nothing to do**_

_**nothing to prove**_

_**and it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**and I don't know why**_

_**I can't keep my eyes off of you**_

Suddenly he leaned towards me and placed his lips near my ear.

I can feel his breath on my face.

He gave a low whisper.

"You know why, so stop denying it to yourself."

_**there's something about you now**_

_**I can't quite figure out**_

_**everything she does is beautiful**_

_**everything she does is right**_

I gulped and tried to stop my face from flushing and my heart from beating so fast.

I whispered back, feeling a bit of my rebellious side kick in.

"I'm not denying anything, maybe you are."

He leaned back just enough to look at me.

His eyes held me in place.

"We'll just see Tashi-chan."

I smirked.

"We'll see who's first to break down and I guarantee it won't be me...Sho-kun."

If he's playing this kind of game, there's no way I'm letting him win.

_**you and me and all of the people**_

_**with nothing to do**_

_**nothing to lose**_

_**and it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**and I don't know why**_

_**I can't keep my eyes off of you**_

I pushed him, making him fall backwards. I pinned him down and grinned.

"Rule number one. Never play a game you can't win."

He lifted his head and suddenly kissed me on the lips.

I was so shocked I reared back.

_**you and me and all of the people**_

_**with nothing to do**_

_**nothing to prove**_

_**and it's you and me and all of the people**_

_**and I don't know why**_

_**I can't keep my eyes off of you**_

He sat up and grinned back at me.

"Rule number two. Never let your opponent see you weakness."

I flushed, but retorted.

"You are my weakness? As if."

"Well, we'll see."

He closed his eyes, indicating that the real Fuji's gone and left.

He stood up and looked down at me.

No way am I going to let him act all superior on me.

I stood up and said.

"Let the games begin."

_**what day is it**_

_**and in what month**_

_**this clock never seemed so alive**_

* * *

**A/N:** There. Whew!!! I had fun making this chapter. I'll put up the next chapter in a few days.

Stay tuned!!! The games begin!!!

Thanks for everything guys. Please read and review.

Love yah!!! Miss yah all!!!

Rai

* * *


	6. The American Hottie

* * *

**A/N:** Hi guys!!! I'm back, well for now at least. The trip's still on, but I still have enough time to post this new chapter. So, expect me to update on and off for a while. I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you so much guys.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I was actually having a few problems with Fuji because I didn't want to make him OOC. I was inspired when I took a look at my favorite fanfics and read **"Study of Sex" **by **Shimegami**. If you want to read it take a look at my favorites. It's hilarious. I encourage you to read it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:**To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 6: The American Hottie**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Okay. Now this is weird.

I woke up this morning cranky and bored at the prospect of going to school. Then I went to school, got all snooty on the secretary and met the principal and vice-principal. Then, I went to my designated room, saw Fuji, acted all bitchy on the teacher, and challenged Fuji. Then, I skipped English period, met my possible new best friend, had a semi-breakdown in front of possible new best friend, challenged Fuji again and now...

Man, what a very interesting day it is today.

Now, six guys are lying down in front of me after crashing down from the doorway to the rooftop and two other guys are standing near the doorway looking at me.

I placed my hands on my hips and glared.

"First of all, who are you? And why are you eavesdropping?"

They all stood up and brushed themselves off. I noticed one of them, the redhead who was in my class with Fuji.

"Nya, this is all your fault Momo." The redhead said totally ignoring me.

This one guy with spiky hair answered back.

"No it wasn't Eiji-senpai. It was Echizen's fault. He tripped me."

O-k. Am I invisible here?

A small guy, probably a freshman, piped up.

"Momo-senpai, I wouldn't have pushed you if you hadn't grabbed me when Fuji-senpai kissed her."

He pointed at me and I blushed.

They were eavesdropping on my conversation with Fuji? What's more they saw him kiss me.

Fuji chuckled.

I turned to him.

"You find this amusing Sho-kun?"

He nodded.

"Why yes, Tashi-chan, I do."

From the corner of my eye, I saw one of the two guys standing near the doorway scribbling something down. Man, he looks creepy.

"Fsshh..." I stared at one guy who was hissing like a snake. "Eiji-senpai, what are we doing here again?"

Eiji, the redhead, snapped his fingers.

"Oh yeah." He pointed at me. "Who are you and why are you kissing Fujiko-chan?"

Before I could even answer, a guy with weird helmet hair spoke.

"Eiji, don't be rude."

"Nya, but Oishi-"

"Eiji, ten laps once we get to practice."

I looked over at the other guy standing. He had brown hair and was wearing glasses.

He's cute.

"Nya, but buchou..."

Buchou, eh? Cute and a captain...interesting...

"Eiji, w-we have classes soon."

"Taka-san's right. Let's just get this over with."

Well, he's a cocky freshman.

Eiji pointed a finger at me again. How rude.

"Who are you?"

I huffed.

"Who am I? Shouldn't I be asking you that? After all, you were the one interrupting our conversation."

He pulled a face.

"Oh yeah."

Fuji stepped up and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Tashi-chan, these are my teammates." He then pointed at them one by one and told me their names but before he could tell them my name, I butted in.

"You actually have teammates, Sho-kun? What did you blackmail them with this time?"

Fuji simply smiled.

"Why nothing, Tashi-chan."

I looked at him disbelievingly.

"Really?"

"Does total annihilation count?"

I shrugged. That wasn't new.

Fuji looked thoughtful. "I remember when you were the one who blackmailed that councilor to put you in band class back in summer camp eight years ago."

I waved that away. "Oh come on. Think of it this way, band class with you or science class with those nerds who are hell bent on making me their geek queen?"

A/N: No offense to all science lovers.

There's that freaky scientist guy again writing something down. Who was he? Oh yeah. Inui, I remember.

What the heck is he writing? Our entire conversation or something?

"You're a science geek yourself, Tashi-chan." Fuji commented.

"I know, but wasn't like them-"

"Hey hey. We're here nya."

"Why yes you are." I commented and ignored him. Serves him right.

"Mou," He pouted. "Fuji who is she?"

Fuji placed a hand on my waist. It took all my will power not to shiver. If I didn't know the real Fuji I might have punched him in the face for even touching me, but I know Fuji and I know he's planning something.

Now what the heck is he planning?

Fuji's smile was brighter than usual.

"Everyone, this is Hamada Tanisha. She's my fiancee."

I was SO close to laughing when I saw their shocked faces, but I managed to hold it down.

Saying we're each other's fiancee was an old joke we played back then. Most people were shocked that two kids were actually proclaiming themselves to be married in the future. It's always a good laugh.

Apparently, Sho-kun's teammates were new to him even having a girlfriend. I can see that by the look on their faces.

"W-What?"

For once in the time I have met him, Eiji was practically speechless.

_BRING...BRING..._

There's the bell, but it seems they were still in shock because no one moved. Except for Inui who was writing and seemed to be cackling behind his notes and that captain Tezuka who was shaking his head.

At this rate we're all going to be late. Plus, I've got Chemistry next, one of my favorite subjects...blowing things up.

So, I did something that shocked them even more, even Fuji.

I gave them my best smile then I said to Fuji.

"Well, gotta go, love. I've got class."

I acted normally, as if we really were a couple. Fuji, though he didn't look it, was surprised when I called him 'love'. I was practically laughing on the inside.

I leaned towards him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Don't forget. The game has already started." I whispered before pulling away and walking past the shocked boys.

"Ja." I waved and disappeared.

* * *

_BRING...BRING..._

Finally. School is over, for today at least.

I walked out the double doors of the school and breathed in the fresh air of outside.

I missed Japan, and I'm glad Dad took me back here...except for the part about Fuji.

Ok, maybe meeting Fuji has its perks, like that rooftop scene.

I smiled as I headed towards the gates.

I'm still angry at Fuji but meeting him again...

It not only brought back memories but it also made me realize how much I've missed him.

I'll admit it.

I've missed Fuji a lot, but ONLY as a friend and nothing more. Plus, I've missed all the antics we used to pull together.

I waved at some of the people I already knew and some who knew me but I didn't know. It seems as if that episode with Fuji and the Math teacher spread like wildfire through the school.

I was about to step out the gates when I noticed someone from the corner of my eye.

"Nami-chan?"

The said girl looked over at me and smiled.

"Oh hey, Aki."

Fujiwara Nami is one my classmates and is my Chem lab partner. She's nice and she kept laughing about that episode with the Math teacher. She said she heard it from one of her classmates. Apparently that Math teacher had a slight breakdown after my period with her and left for home early. She said that all they did in class was talk about me.

Flattering really.

I pointed at the guitar in her hands.

"What's with the guitar?"

Nami smiled. "Oh, me and a couple of girls and guys are heading over to the auditorium. We have jamming sessions regularly. Want to come? You can meet a lot of people there."

I nodded.

"Sure why not?"

Nami led me over to the auditorium and told me all about their jamming sessions. Three times a week a couple of students meet at the auditorium for some chit-chat and of course to sing songs and share their love for music. The principal authorized it because the students put up a convincing argument of "training musically inclined students". Nami says it's more of an after-school gossip session slash dance party, but the session is only open to its members.

"You mean you actually initiate members?" I asked. Back in L.A. parties like those are open to everyone.

Nami smiled.

"I know you're wondering about that, but if we have too many members we might blow our cover to the principal. Only musically-talented and certified music lovers are allowed here. You don't have to worry about coming in, though. You're a new student and I'm sure a lot of the others will be interested to finally meet the American Hottie."

I stared at her.

"What?"

Nami's smile grew mischievous.

"Apparently, some guys thought it cute to give the newest, hottest, richest, smartest and most interesting student on the block a nickname. Thus, the origin of The American Hottie a.k.a. Hamada Tanisha."

I laughed good-naturedly.

"Oh come on. As flattering as that is, it's not true."

Right on cue, a male student passed us. He whistled at Nami.

"Hey Nami! You look as cute as you usually do."

"Hey Hiro. And you are as pervy as usual."

Hiro put on a wounded look.

"You cut me deep Nami. Here I am admiring you and you hurt me. That's just like you."

"And you are such a drama queen."

Hiro smiled good-naturedly. He took my hand and shook it.

"The name's Hiro. Who are you, oh friend of the great Nami?"

I smiled. He's cute and funny, but something tells me he's more of a Nami fan.

"Hamada Tanisha. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hiro looked surprised.

"Not the American Hottie?"

Nami pushed him.

"Yes, that hottie. Now go and tell everyone."

Hiro saluted.

"Yes ma'am. By the way, it's a pleasure to meet you Tanisha, but I have to go follow Miss High-and-Mighty's orders."

Nami laughed and pushed him again.

"Just go."

Hiro looked back.

"Why do I like you again?"

Nami simply shooed him away.

I looked at my friend.

"Oooh...cute, funny, constantly hitting on you and obviously falling all over you. Why not say yes?"

Nami blushed.

"Hiro's nice-"

"Not to mention cute."

"But it's just that-"

"He's cute."

"Will you stop saying that?"

I giggled.

"Come on, Nami-chan. Why not say yes? He obviously likes you a lot."

"Never mind." Nami ran off and I followed.

"Hey guys!!! I got us a new one!!!" Nami shouted as we reached the auditorium.

* * *

**A/N:** How do you like them apples? I'll put up the new chapter as soon as I can. So stay tuned. Don't forget to review.

Love yah!!!

Rai

* * *


	7. Girl Can Rock

* * *

**A/N: **Hey guys!!! Another chappie is coming in. Hope you enjoy this one. I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you very much. 

**Disclaimer: **I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary: **To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:**Girl Can Rock by Hilary Duff (If you haven't heard this song check out my profile for links)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 7: Girl Can Rock  
**

**(Tanisha POV)**

"Ok, let me get this straight. You guys initiate the people who want to become members, and you want me to join?"

Nami nodded along with Hiro, Izumi and Rin.

"Yup." Izumi patted me on the shoulder. "Why is that so hard to believe anyway?"

"I'm just surprised, that's all. Why me?" I stared at them.

Ok, this is weird.

Here I am in the auditorium with Nami, Hiro, Izumi and Rin...just the four of us, the others still weren't here yet. As it turned out, the JAM club as the four called it, consisted of only about fifteen members, including them...and me?

Izumi huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I thought you'd be at least excited over this, Aki-senpai."

Fujiwara Izumi, Nami's younger cousin, is a sophomore and in the short time I have met her I realized that she's a little weird and has a tendency to be lazy and bossy. But she's really nice and makes me feel at ease.

Watanabe Rin giggled at her best friend then turned to me.

"You see, Aki-senpai, in the short time you've been here you have already made an impression with the student body. If you became a member it would make the JAM very popular and sought-after. Yup. It will."

Ok. Rin has got to be the weirdest ever. She's nice, very nice, but so...spacey. She's a sophomore and is Izumi's best friend. It's a mystery how those two became best friends, much less get along.

"Let me say this loud and clear ok?" I said. "The only reason you're asking me to join is because if I join, the JAM instantly becomes popular. Which means you'll just be using me?"

They nodded.

I smirked.

"Sure, why not?"

Don't get me wrong. Usually it's weird to be used, but not for me. I love being in on things like this.

They smiled at me while Rin started giggling like mad.

Hiro put out his hand. "I, Edagawa Hiro, welcome you to JAM."

I shook his hand and Nami did the same.

"Me too. I, Fujiwara Nami, also welcome you to JAM."

"Fujiwara Izumi welcomes you to JAM, Aki-senpai."

"Aki-senpai. Watanabe Rin. Welcome JAM. Come come."

Rin grabbed me and pulled me off my seat. She then led me over to the stage where a mike stand and some instruments were set up. She pushed me towards the mike and positioned herself beside the keyboards.

"What?"

Nami smiled as she and the others walked up the stage.

"You still have to be initiated even though we readily accepted you to JAM."

She took an electric guitar while Izumi took her place with her drums and Hiro took charge of judging my initiation. I sighed and pulled up another electric guitar. I knew how to play, but I'm not that good of a singer and I told them so.

"Guys, I know how to play the guitar, but I'm not really much of a singer."

Hiro settled down in a chair.

"It's ok, Aki-chan. You don't have to be that good of a singer. Nami usually handles vocals for all jamming sessions. Just sing and concentrate on playing."

Easy for him to say. Hiro's got a deep masculine voice that's nice to listen to. Nami told me that he sings too and is pretty good at it. My Dad says I've got a pretty good voice, but that's Dad speaking. Back when we were six, Fuji told me I have a kawaii voice, but come on!!! That's Fuji speaking and his tastes leave little to be desired.

Nami saw me hesitate.

"Don't worry. You should have heard Izumi when she got initiated. She didn't even get to finish one stanza before she got booted off the stage. She only got in when I convinced them to judge her based on her playing skills."

Izumi threw her drumsticks at her cousin. Thankfully, Nami wasn't hit.

"Stop it. That was last year, let's just forget about it."

Everybody laughed.

I relaxed.

Ok. Take deep breaths and focus on playing.

It didn't take long for me to choose a song and I quickly told the others. They all agreed instantly.

I took a deep breath and played.

* * *

**Normal POV**

Fuji fully expected to be bombarded by questions from his teammates during practice and that is what's happening now.

"Yes?" Fuji simply smiled as his teammates cornered him in the clubroom.

"You know what we want Fujiko, so spill." Eiji jumped at him quickly.

Fuji kept up his smile but he was secretly amused at the disbelieving looks on his teammates faces. He didn't actually expect them to believe his story on the whole fiancee thing, but it was still a lot of fun stringing them along like this.

What fun!

"I believe I have already made my point clear at the rooftop Eiji."

Momoshiro was the first one to give in.

"You mean it's true?"

Fuji was about to answer when Ryoma interrupted.

"Of course it's not true Momo-senpai."

They all looked at him, except of course for Tezuka who merely shook his head at Fuji and Inui who was nodding and scribbling something down.

"Oh? Why is that so Echizen?" Fuji asked, interested in the freshman's answer.

Ryoma looked bored and simply pointed out.

"If that new girl is actually your fiancee then you'd be more guarded than amused that we figured it out. But since you told us yourself and you're also amused, that makes it certain that you're lying."

Fuji was delighted that Ryoma figured it out. Mind games were his specialty and he can't let Ryoma beat his little game with simple logic.

"Very impressive Echizen. Fine then, I'll admit it. I was lying. My dear Tashi-chan is not my fiancee." Fuji sighed in fake defeat.

Eyebrows went up while Inui simply continued his writing and Tezuka was seriusly considering telling Fuji to stop this ridiculous charade. For him, it was obvious that Fuji was faking it but he can't say the same for the others (except for Inui and Ryoma).

"Then who is she?" Eiji asked. He was seriously tired of asking that same question to his best friend. He was also frustrated that he didn't know this other person who had an obvious effect and influence on Fuji. Ok, he was also partly jealous that she appeared very close to him (the kiss in the rooftop came to mind). All he wanted was to know who she was.

Fuji knew what the redhead was thinking and feeling. He felt slightly guilty that he was causing him discomfort but this business with Tashi-chan is a very very VERY personal matter. He'll just find a way to apologize later.

Fuji looked up at them with his most innocent I'm-telling-the-truth face.

"She's...she's my wife."

As he expected silence met his sentence. He waited and, as expected again, the words sunk in and it was utter pandemonium.

It was very amusing and is certainly going to be filed away in the part of Fuji's mind labeled 'Very Unforgettable Memories'. Eiji and Oishi were both stuttering. "You-you're w-w..w-w..." Funny how they couldn't get the word out. Momoshiro's mouth was hanging open in slight contrast to Kaidoh whose eyes were wide open. Taka-san paled and ultimately fainted. Tezuka was shaking his head in very obvious disbelief at Fuji's words and approached his bag. The buchou pulled out a noticeably large bottle of aspirins and popped a few in his mouth. Inui was viciously cackling now and was writing down at 20 words per second. Ryoma on the other hand had the most amusing reaction. The freshman pulled down his cap and his shoulders started to shake.

Momoshiro, as usual, was the first to notice the freshman.

"Ne Echizen, what's wrong?"

Everybody stopped and stared at him. His shoulders were shaking harder than ever and his hand was still tugging down on his cap and hiding his face.

Then, he gave in.

Ryoma laughed.

Yes, that's right. The usually stoic and calm freshman laughed his heart out. He laughed until tears came to his eyes and he had to stop before his air supply is cut off.

As Ryoma panted, the others merely looked at him in shock. The thing was, Ryoma laughed so heartily that even the unconscious Taka-san woke up...and that's saying something.

Ryoma, not at all conscious of what he did, smirked at Fuji. Fuji tried to look calm but was slightly irritated at the fact that Ryoma was obviously laughing at him.

"That's the funniest thing I've ever heard Fuji-senpai."

Fuji was miffed all right, but there was no way he'll let Ryoma come out on top in this one. He smiled.

"I'm glad you find it amusing Echizen. It is quite an accomplishment that I managed to get a hearty laugh out of you."

Ryoma actually blushed as Momo and Eiji glomped him.

"Yeah, that's the first time I heard you laugh ochibi."

"Yeah, Echizen. You should laugh more often you know."

Suddenly the clubroom door opened, saving Ryoma from the embarrassment of actually letting loose. He tried to salvage his remaining dignity by keeping quiet as the Freshmen Trio came in, talking about something.

"They said they saw her there. She's probably new. I wonder who she is?" Katsuo spoke.

Kachiro nodded. "She must be the one the other senpais were talking about."

Horio agreed. "Yeah. She does fit the description...Oh, ohayo senpais and buchou. Why's Taka-san lying down on the floor?"

Tezuka and the others nodded and Taka-san quickly got up from the floor.

Oishi waved his hand away. "It's nothing. Anyway, what were you all talking about?"

Katsuo pointed outside. "Sakuno and Tomoka told us something about a new girl they saw in the auditorium with the JAM Club."

"And they said they heard something about an initiation." Kachiro added.

Fuji stood up. This was too good to be true.

"What does she look like?"

Horio thought about it. "They said she had long red hair and was wearing clothes that look like a different version of the Seigaku girl's uniform."

The regulars all said the same thing.

"Hamada Tanisha."

The trio looked at them.

"What?"

Fuji ignored them and pulled out his camera from his bag. He then asked them one thing while he prepared his camera.

"What were the other senpais saying about her?"

The three were startled by Fuji and answered quickly.

"They said she was hot-"

"And was responsible for the Math teacher's breakdown-"

"Also something about American H-H-"

"They called her the American Hottie."

Everyone turned to Kaidoh. The mamushi blushed under everyone's gaze.

"What did you say Kaidoh?"

Kaidoh, being smart and perceptive, had long since figured out that Fuji-senpai was particularly deadly and sadistic when it came to that new girl. He answered immediately.

"Fsshhh...They called Hamada-senpai the 'American Hottie'. The other seniors thought of that name. I heard some of my classmates talking about it."

"Wait." Momoshiro cried out. "How come you knew about it and I don't?"

"Fsshhh...Because, you baka, you were too busy sleeping in class when they were talking about it."

"Hey! Who are you calling baka? Take that back mamushi!!!"

Before the two could get into another argument , Fuji pushed past them and headed out the door. They noticed that his eyes were open and they had a particular glint to them. They also noticed the camera he was holding firmly.

Fuji wasn't going to let this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip away. No matter how many laps he get for ditching practice, he didn't mind as long as he got those photos.

He walked out and quickly headed to the auditorium. Inui was on his heels in an instant, then Eiji who was dragging Ryoma, then Oishi, followed by Takashi and then the-still-bickering Momo and Kaidoh and finally Tezuka, at a slower pace.

The trio simply watched as the regulars ran off. They looked at each other and then ran after their senpais. They happened to come along Sakuno and Tomoka and immediately grabbed the two girls and headed for the auditorium.

* * *

**Tanisha POV**

I was ready to play. I was, and I wanted to get it over with. I have a lot of weaknesses and one of those is singing, and I'm not the type of person who lets people see this side of me.

My guitar was ready, I was (partly) ready, but I wasn't playing.

Why?

Because a certain light-haired tensai erupted from the auditorium doors with that silly grin on his face.

Izumi spoke up.

"Hey, only JAM members are allowed here!!!"

Fuji merely smiled at me and I noticed his eyes were open. He was followed by his teammates.

This means trouble.

I waved over at Izumi to stop screaming at them and I looked at Fuji.

"What in heaven's name are you doing here?"

Fuji merely inclined his camera and smiled.

"Calm down dear. I'm only here to watch you."

Oh man. He's got a camera. This is not good.

And did he just call me dear?

Nami was looking at me wide-eyed.

"Dear?"

"Ignore him." I said. "Fuji get out."

"But why?"

"Because you're not allowed here, duh."

"So?"

"Get out."

"Why?"

I sighed. It's no use. Once Fuji gets into this mood, there's no stopping him. And I don't want to get into an argument with him and embarrass myself.

I nodded to Hiro.

"Let's just get this over with. Ignore them."

I signaled to the girls and we played. After a short intro, I took a deep breath and made sure not to look at Fuji.

_**Hey!**_

I then did a quick guitar piece and sang.

_**Ready for the big time, ready for the small**_

_**Whatever's comin' to me, I'll be ready for it all**_

_**Sometimes it ain't easy, sometimes its not polite**_

_**Some days I don't get it, some days I get it right**_

This time I looked Fuji squarely in the eye. He was staring at me with open eyes and once in a while put up his camera to snap a picture. The others behind him were simply watching me.

Might as well give them something to enjoy.

I leaned close to the mike and gave them my most seductive smile.

_**It's in my heart, it's in my head**_

_**Thats what i said**_

I readied my guitar.

_**Hey boys are you ready for the shock**_

_**I'm living proof, the girl can rock**_

_**Spread the news around every single block**_

_**Hey boys, the girl can rock**_

They were so interested now. Fuji was still snapping pics and I saw two girls in the crowd nodding along to my song. The others, particularly Eiji and...Momo I think, were sitting in the chairs and watching me.

I then had a marvelous idea.

I let my guitar dangle and pulled the mike stand to me. I ran my hands through my hair.

_**Standin' in the spotlight workin' up a sweat**_

_**Givin' all i got and lovin' what i get**_

_**I can't hold back what i feel inside**_

_**and if i make you nervous, you better step aside**_

I was making them nervous. Fuji started taking my picture like mad and the others were looking very interested.

_**It's in my heart, it's in my head**_

_**Thats what i said**_

I picked up the guitar.

_**Hey boys are you ready for the shock**_

_**I'm living proof, the girl can rock**_

_**Spread the news around every single block**_

_**Hey boys, the girl can rock**_

_**The girl can rock**_

_**Don't say maybe or call me 'baby'**_

_**I ain't crazy at all**_

I let the guitar drop again and closed my eyes.

_**It's in my heart, it's in my head**_

_**Thats what i said**_

I opened my eyes and clapped along to the music. The two girls I noticed were clapping as well, including Hiro, Eiji, Momo and Oishi...it wasn't long before the others did, except for Fuji whose picture-taking increased.

_**Hey boys are you ready for the shock**_

_**I'm living proof, the girl can rock**_

_**Spread the news around every single block**_

_**Hey boys, the girl can rock**_

I got my guitar again.

_**Hey boys are you ready for the shock**_

_**I'm living proof, the girl can rock**_

_**Spread the news around every single block**_

_**Hey boys, the girl can rock**_

Finally, I'm near finished.

_**I'm gonna live it up**_

_**I'll never give it up**_

_**I'm gonna spread the news around the block**_

_**It ain't no shock**_

_**the girl can rock**_

I stared at Fuji and I noticed that he stopped taking pictures. He just stood there and...stared at me.

_**the girl can rock **_

Even from a distance, I saw Fuji smile.

_**the girl can rock **_

Then he turned his back on me and walked out the auditorium. The others didn't notice him leave.

_**Yeah, Rock!**_

Finally finished. I stared at Fuji's retreating back before turning to Hiro and the others who were clapping.

I bowed with a smile.

* * *

**Tanisha POV**

I sighed and walked out the gates of the school. I swear I am not singing in front of anybody ever again. The only place I'll be singing is in my bathroom.

I pulled my bag further up my shoulder and decided to take the long way home. I'm sure Dad won't mind, but just to be on the safe side, I left a message on the answering machine at home.

That over with, I headed to the park and sat down on one of the benches.

I saw two kids, a boy with a small girl, playing over at the playground and smiled.

"Just like back then." I whispered.

"Back when?"

I jumped up and looked behind me to see...

"Eiji-san?"

The redhead gave me a cheeky grin before sitting on the bench. I joined him.

"So...Eiji-san, what are you doing here?"

He smiled at me. "Mou...don't call me that. I'll feel old, Tanisha-chan."

I smiled back, amused. "Well then, Kikumaru-kun...what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at practice? Oh, and I prefer Aki-chan."

"Well, Aki-chan..." He turned back to the two kids in the playground. The boy was hanging from the monkey bars while the little girl was watching him from the swings. "Buchou canceled practice today, so I thought of going home early. I didn't know you took this road home nya."

I shook my head. "Nah, I just decided to take the long way home that's all."

We lapsed into silence.

I gave him a side-long glance. The truth was Eiji wasn't all that bad. He's nice, maybe a tad hyper, but nice.

"Ne, Kikumaru-kun? Sorry about snapping at you before, you know, on the rooftop?"

He smiled at me.

"Forget about it, nya. Sorry for interrupting anyway..." He stared at me.

"Ne...Aki-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you related to Fuji? I mean, are you really his fiancee or wife or something?"

I simply chuckled.

"Let me guess, Fuji was the one who said I'm his wife?"

When he nodded, I chuckled again. It was just like Fuji to do something like this.

Eiji simply looked at me, seriously might I add.

"So, who are you to him? I mean, I'm his best friend but he's never told me anything about you."

Wait. Is he thinking what I think he's thinking?

I stopped a grin from forming on my face.

"Eiji-kun, are you...What I mean is...Don't worry about it. I'm not going to steal your best friend from you. Fuji and I act friendly, but we're...you know..."

"So you and Fuji aren't...Wait... I'm not jealous!!!"

I smiled at him and looked back at the two playmates in the playground who were busy riding the swings.

"Eiji-kun, I know how you feel. It's weird to see your best friend suddenly getting along very well with somebody you don't know. I also know that it's even worse if your best friend doesn't even tell you the truth. I know how you feel."

Eiji cocked his head to the side and I can't help thinking that he looked adorable, sorta like a curious puppy.

"You were Fuji's childhood friend, weren't you?"

I looked at him. When I met Eiji at the rooftop, I had the impression of a happy-go-lucky guy, but now he's serious.

"You know?"

"Well, I don't really. Fuji once mentioned that he had a childhood friend, but I think it was more of a slip of the tongue since he never talked about it. Are you that person?"

I sighed and nodded.

"Yeah."

And then...I broke down again!

This is the second time I broke down... Man, what's is happening to me?

I've always been a secretive person, especially with very personal matters...but now I'm so...weak. It's like...seeing Fuji again made me feel...vulnerable and that I need to confide in someone. Eiji was nice and listened to me, nodding now and then, but he just let me pour it out.

I stopped talking and just sat there staring at my hands.

The next thing I knew Eiji grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

"Come on, nya." He smiled and pulled me along. "Let's get ice cream."

"...Um...okay."

Once we got our ice cream (Eiji's treat) and sat down at the same bench, Eiji and I talked. We talked about school and he asked me about my life before I moved here to Japan and I asked him about the tennis team...and a particular someone...

"So...that Tezuka guy...What's he like?"

Eiji talked animatedly and was very amusing. I couldn't help laughing at him as he described in great detail the normal day at practice. He told me all about Inui's horrible juice, Tezuka's laps, Kaidoh and Momo's bickering, Oishi's constant worrying, Taka-san's burning, Fuji's blackmail and threats, Ryoma's 'Mada Mada Dane' and Eiji's love of glomping people. And I really appreciate it that he didn't brought back the topic of my past.

It was getting dark when we finally noticed the time.

"Nya, I have to go Aki-chan." Eiji jumped up. "I have to get home."

I stood up. "Yeah, me too. It was nice talking to you Kikumaru-kun and thank you. I really appreciate the...you know..."

He gave me a cheeky smile and with a last wave ran off.

I waved back and turned back. I hardly took a step when I felt someone tackle me from behind...in a hug.

"Kikumaru-kun?!"

"Nya, I can't let you go off just like that."

I laughed.

"Of course you can't."

Then Eiji left for good.

Eiji wasn't really all that bad. He's nice and warm...sorta like Fuji was back then...

I shook my head to get rid of such thoughts and simply headed on home.

* * *

A/N: There. Whew!!! Yey I'm done. I'll put up the next chapter in a few days. 

Thanks for everything guys. Please review.

Love yah!!!

Rai

* * *


	8. Cooking and Confessions

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! Sorry I didn't update sooner. For some reason the documents can't enter the site or something of the sort. Hope you enjoy this one. I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you very much.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 8: Cooking and Confessions**

**(Tanisha POV)**

"Hey Yumi-chan!!!"

Yumiko's chesnut-brown hair swerved to the right as she looked back at me. Her baby-pink eyes caught sight of me in the throng of students.

"Hey Aki-chan."

She smiled at me as I fell into step beside her on the way to school.

"Mou...Yumi-chan I was calling you last night, but no one was answering." I pouted.

She shook her head with an apologetic smile.

"Gomen. I forgot that our phone wasn't working."

I looked at her confused.

"But it was ringing."

I noticed her eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch.

"Yes it does, but if you answer it you can hear the person but the person can't hear you speak."

"Oh." I looked straight ahead as we approached the double doors.

I knew Yumiko was lying.

Puh-lease. I've been friends with Fuji since-I mean I was friends with Fuji back then. Being friends with someone like Fuji means you have to learn how to pick up the simplest, smallest and most well-hidden of gestures. Like, whenever Fuji was feeling something he'd have a small glitch in his smile. Most people don't know it, but Fuji's smiles have different meanings and- wait, why am I talking about him?

Focus Aki!!!

Anyway, even with that simple raise of the eyebrows, I can sense Yumi-chan's lying.

But why?

Ok, we've just been friends yesterday. Maybe I just need to chill.

"Ne, Aki-chan?"

"Yeah?"

Yumi-chan was smiling amused.

"I notice that you aren't wearing your custom uniform."

What she meant was, why was I wearing the standard uniform when I made it clear that I hate the school?

I grinned.

"Oh, I just thought of something and decided to turn over a new leaf. I mean, the school isn't all that bad anyway."

She smiled teasingly.

"And a certain tennistensai doesn't have anything to do with it?"

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"No."

She and I reached our lockers. Our locker were about ten lockers apart. Bummer.

"Hey Am-girl!!!"

I didn't even bother looking up.

"Go away, Hiro. I don't want to see you now."

Hiro started calling me that just after that initiation. And frankly, it's annoying.

I turned back to Hiro, who was smiling.

"Don't be that way, Am-girl. After all, we'll be spending more time with me in JAM sessions."

"Aki-chan, you're a JAM member?"

Yumiko approached us both.

Hiro smiled at her.

"Oh hey, Yumiko. Yup, Am-girl got initiated yesterday."

I sighed.

"Hiro stop calling me that. Yumi-chan, I wanted to call you last night about that."

Yumiko looked thoughtful.

"Am-girl...sounds cute. Maybe I should call you that."

I groaned.

"Not you too."

Yumiko shook her head.

"Just kidding."

"So, anyway Am-girl. I just wanted to remind you that we have a session later. You should come and get to know the others."

I nodded.

"Sure, why not? Can Yumi-chan come?"

"You wanna come Yumiko?"

Yumiko nodded.

"Sure."

Hiro nodded.

"That's good. I'll see you later then. Bye Yumiko. Bye Am-girl."

Hiro waved and walked away.

_BRING...BRING..._

"There's the bell Aki-chan. I'd better get going." Yumiko smiled at me.

I nodded. Yumiko and I don't have the same first period class, but at least I'll get to see her later.

"Sure."

Yumiko ran off and I took out my schedule. I really should memorize it. That will save me some t-

Oh no. It can't be.

I read my schedule again.

I forgot. Today's the day I have...that class.

* * *

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

This is it. This is the class.

It's...

"Ok class, get your aprons and pick a recipe book from the shelf."

...the dreaded cookingclass.

Ok. Take a deep breath Aki. This is just cooking. There is no need to panic.

Oh what am I saying!!!

I need to get out of here.

Ok. The thing is...I am a terrible cook. As in, I absolutely cannot cook because I end up burning down the kitchen. And here I am in school, actually cooking. I need to get out of here before I burn down the school.

Wait!

Back then I didn't worry about burning down anything. I mean, I burned down the gym and now I'm actually worrying.

Man, what's gotten into me?

But at the same time I have to cut this class or, if possible, drop it. I can just make up for it with my other classes.

"Hamada, here's your apron and go get a book. Chop chop. Get going."

Did she just say 'chop chop'?

"Um...well...you see sensei...I'm...uh...not much of a cook."

Li-sensei shook her head.

"Don't worry Hamada. You'll be working in pairs, so you can learn."

Well...that can work...sort of. I mean, if I get paired up with someone who actually knows how to cook, I can just follow his/her directions. Yes...that could work.

My prayers have been answered!!!

Li-sensei paired me up with Takemura Satomi. Satomi's nice and mother-like and what's important is that she can COOK!!!

"Well, Aki-chan. What do you want to make?" Satomi asked me and handed me a recipe book.

I smiled weakly as I tied on my apron. "Something easy, I guess. I don't really know how to cook, Satomi-chan."

Satomi smiled and scanned the pages.

"Don't worry about it Aki-chan. I'll help you. So...what do you think about this?"

She pointed at a recipe for making a chocolate cake.

"Do you really think we can pull it off?"

"Come on Aki-chan. Have faith."

Yeah right. What we need now is a miracle.

* * *

"Um...you still have cake in your hair Aki-chan."

I grumbled and decided to just dunk my whole head under the sink. I washed off the junk in my hair and wrapped it up in a towel.

"Satomi-chan, I'm really sorry about messing up our cake."

Satomi smiled kindly.

"It's okay Aki-chan."

I frowned.

"But it's not okay. Thanks to my stupidity, I ruined our work and ruined the kitchen."

Satomi shook her head.

Satomi and I were in the girls bathroom and were washing ourselves off from all the cake. It's a good thing that class came just before lunch.

You see, I don't really know how to bake and work an oven. When Satomi-chan told me to set it at 350 degrees...I sorta pushed the wrong buttons and the whole thing...exploded. That incident didn't count the fact that I made a mess, accidentally dropped all the eggs, poured salt instead of suger in our first batch, accidentally threw flour at Li-sensei, ruined our second batch (i still don't know how that happened), sent our third batch flying when I slipped on the egg mess and a whole lot of other things...

Now all because of me, Satomi and I got two weeks detention and we have to clean up the room later after class. Plus we both failed the test.

When it comes to cooking, I am seriously cursed.

I pulled the towel out of my hair and shook my head.

"Don't worry about it Aki-chan. It's okay really." Satomi tried to comfort me.

"Still, I'm really sorry. I'll do better next time. Besides, I know you have gymnastics training later. I'll clean up and you go practice. It's the least I could do. Please."

"Well ok...if you're sure. And I know you'll do better Aki-chan." Satomi smiled at me. "I'll take the towels back to the gym, okay?"

I nodded.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Woah. That's harsh Am-girl."

I sighed and sank down on my seat.

I was with Hiro, Nami, Rin, Izumi and Yumiko in the cafeteria during lunch. I told them all about the whole cooking catastrophe episode. Hiro, Nami, Yumiko and Rin were cool about me missing JAM. Nami, however, still hasn't stopped laughing.

"Woo-hoo." I waved a hand in front of her face and Izumi snapped out of it.

"What? Sorry about that, Aki-senpai. It's just that...hahahahahahaha" And Izumi continued to laugh.

I sighed.

"So..." Nami leaned towards me.We were sitting in a rectangular table; me, Yumiko and Hiro were on one side while Nami, Rin and Izumi on the other. Nami was sitting across from me.

"So?"

"What now?"

"What do you mean what now?"

"How are you going to clean the whole Home Ec room by yourself?" Rin asked.

"I don't know. I'll probably have to stay late."

Suddenly I saw someone in the crowd.

"Guys, I'll be back in a sec."

I stood up and walked off towards the crowd of students. I spotted my prey sitting in a chair with his back to me and...

I pounced.

I placed my hands around Eiji's eyes and hid a giggle when he yelped. The rest of the (third year) regulars were surprised by my appearance, except for that Tezuka guy. I then saw Inui write down in his notebook and ignored Fuji's gaze.

"Nya, who is this? Oishi, who's this?" Eiji held my wrists.

I shook my head at Oishi, who smiled at me.

"Why don't you guess Eiji?" He asked back.

"Mou...That's mean." Eiji let go of my wrists. That's good, one more move and he might have touched-

"Eiji," Fuji spoke up with his usual smile, though I noticed it was the sadist smile of his. "Try running your hands down the arms."

I was about to retort when Eiji did what Fuji said. He ran his fingers slowly down my arms and I let go with a yelp before he even reached my elbows.

"Fuji that's dirty pool." I rubbed my arms.

Fuji smirked at me, but it dissolved into a smile before anybody could see.

"But it worked." He popped a sushi in his mouth.

"Aki-chan!!!" Eiji exclaimed and pulled me down to sit in the empty chair beside him. "Nya, that was mean. I didn't know that was you."

I giggled. "That's the point."

I then waved to everybody at the table.

"Ohayo Tezuka, Oishi, Fuji, Inui and Taka-san."

They all nodded.

Taka-san offered me sushi. I popped one into my mouth with a thank you.

"Why did you pull your hands away, Aki-chan?" Oishi asked curiously.

I rubbed my arms again. "I'm naturally ticklish and have sensitive parts of the body, like my arms...as Fuji knows." I gave him a soft glare. I notice Inui write that down.

Fuji simply smiled.

"I didn't know you and Eiji get along well, Aki-chan." Taka-san mentioned.

"Oh," I shook my head and smiled. "That's a secret, ne Kikumaru-kun?"

Eiji giggled. From the corner of my eye, I notice Fuji jerk a bit when he heard me call Eiji by his name.

"Anyway, I'd better go. I just wanted to say hi. Oh, and Kikumaru-kun..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the you-know-what yesterday."

"Nya, no problem."

I stood up and waved at them goodbye. But before I turned away I notice a curious Oishi and Taka-san, a giggly Eiji, a cackling Inui and...

Both Tezuka and Fuji were looking my way. Fuji's eyes were open and I can see the challenge in them while Tezuka looked unreadable...

Man, his stare is creepy.

* * *

I walked out of the cafeteria. I left the others and told them an excuse about apologizing to Li-sensei. I already apologized to her and she made it pretty clear that she won't forgive me unless I clean the room.

I walked off towards the back of the school. It was still half an hour until classes resume.

It was time for a nap.

I walked towards a clump of bushes and a tree in the corner of the grounds. I walked towards the tree and patted it on the trunk. It kind of reminds me of Sachi, the tree Fuji and I claimed as ours and-

A hand grabbed my wrist. I was so surprised and disoriented that whoever it is managed to turn me around and pin me to the tree.

I stared at electric-blue eyes.

I gasped.

"Fuji...I-I mean...W-What are you doing? L-Let me go."

Fuji's eyes were open and I can clearly see the amusement and...concealed feelings in them. Fuji's hand was still holding my wrist and his other hand was placed just beside my head. I was trapped.

I struggled against him.

"Let me go!"

Fuji let go of my wrist but kept me pinned between his body and the tree.

"Tashi-chan..." Fuji's words came out low and breathy. "A word with you if I may..."

I licked my lips to give them some moisture.

"I-I d-don't exactly have a choice, do I?"

Fuji chuckled and I can't help but shiver when I felt his breath on my face. This is the first time Fuji and I had ever been really close-not counting the rooftop episode. That time was more of harmless banter, this one was...oh I don't know what it is! All I know is I don't like the fact that I'm helpless against Fuji.

Fuji stared at me. "You seem to have gotten along well with Eiji. It's unusual seeing as you two had only met just yesterday."

I can't help smirking.

"What's the matter Fuji? Jealous?"

Fuji's eyes grew dark and I gulped.

"What if I said yes?"

"Well...I-I...I mean I..."

Curse him. Truth be told, that wasn't the answer I was expecting.

"Why Tashi-chan? Surprised?"

Fuji looked at me straight in the eye and I can't help looking away. He leaned close to my ear and I bit my lip to keep myself from pushing him and just running away. I can feel his breath near my ear and his long hair was tickling my neck.

"Tashi-chan if Eiji's part of your little ploy against me, I won't allow it. He's my best friend and I won't let even you of all people use him."

I whispered back harshly.

"I got to talk to Eiji and from the time I spent with him, I knew that I can't hurt him. He's too innocent and kind and you can be certain that I won't use him. Besides..."

I leaned closer and noted with satisfaction that he shivered.

"...Eiji's a good person and more importantly, a good friend...something you have never been."

I gasped as Fuji grabbed me hard by the shoulders. He forced me to look him straight in the eye and I almost cried out from the intense look in his eyes.

"You're mine Tanisha. Don't forget that."

He let go of me and walked off. I grew angry. I am nobody's and certainly not Fuji's.

"I am not yours!!!" He stopped in his tracks. "I never am and never will!!! What can I do, huh? Tell me what I can do to knock you so far down that I'll hurt you so much and just make you forget about me!!! Tell me that!!!"

Fuji looked back at me and shook his head.

"There's nothing you can do. I'll admit you've already done the first part. The day you left was the worst thing you did to hurt me. But..."

I held my breath.

"...But there is no way you can make me forget you. I've kept your memory alive for seven years. There's nothing you can do to make me forget you... absolutely nothing."

He gave me a sad smile.

"Besides, I've waited for you for years...seven long years. If I can't have you now, I can wait for you a little longer."

And just like that, he walked away.

* * *

**A/N:** So? I had a few doubts about the last part because I was debating with myself about Fuji being OOC. But I thought about it and made my own conclusion. Fuji's sort of scarred and regretful and all, so it's obvious that he'll be jealous and competitve, and Eiji's his best friend also so he'll protect him. I also see Fuji as more of a protective and territorial lover anyway.

Please review. I hope you enjoyed this chappie.

Love yah guys!!!

Rai

* * *


	9. Can't Cry Hard Enough

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! Hope you enjoy this one. I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you very much. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** Can't Cry Hard Enough by Bellefire (If you haven't heard this song check out my profile for links)

* * *

**"****Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 9: Can't Cry Hard Enough**

**(Tanisha POV)**

The day passed by in a blur. In fact, it went by so fast I didn't notice myself standing inside the Home Ec room wearing my gym clothes and holding a mop.

And it's all Fuji's fault.

When is it not his fault, anyway? Everything is his fault.

This business with Fuji is just too difficult. I've known him since I was a baby and, despite the seven year break, I still do. Then how come I can't figure him out now?

This is so frustrating!!!

I sighed and set to work. The best thing to do would be to keep myself so busy that I won't have time to think of anything else.

Especially not Fuji's words.

_"You're mine Tanisha. Don't forget that."_

Nope. I definitely won't think about it. I picked up all the trash and placed it in a large garbage bag.

_"The day you left was the worst thing you did to hurt me."_

Yup, definitely not remembering anything.

_"There's nothing you can do to make me forget you... absolutely nothing."_

I took a rag and rinsed it on the sink. Nope. I got nothing in my mind.

_If I can't have you now, I can wait for you a little longer."_

I tossed the rag in a bucket and sat down on a clean spot on the floor.

This cannot be happening to me. It just can't.

I brought my knees to my chest and buried my head.

Somebody knocked on the door.

I looked up. "Um...come in."

The door opened and revealed my best friend, Yumiko.

"Hey Aki-chan." She smiled and I noticed that she was wearing her gym clothes.

"Uh, hey Yumi-chan. What are you doing here?"

She shook her head.

"I came here to help you, silly."

"No way. Nuh-uh." I shook my head. "This isn't your punishment, it's mine."

"I don't care. I want to help you. Besides, it'll go quicker if I help you...and you don't really seem to be doing much." Yumiko confessed as she looked down at me.

I sighed.

"Thanks."

Yumiko picked up that something was wrong.

"Are you okay Aki-chan?" She sat down beside me.

I shook my head. No sense worrying her over my personal problems.

"It's nothing."

Then it hit me. Yumiko's nice and is already a good friend, but it hit me that I don't really know much about her.

"So," I stood up and took the rag out of the bucket. Yumiko followed after me. "How about you?"

Yumiko picked up the mop and started cleaning a corner of the room with the most mess. Her back was turned to me as I cleaned the windows.

"What about me?"

"Well..." It wouldn't hurt to be honest. "This morning..."

"Yes?" Yumiko didn't stop mopping, although I noticed her shoulders straighten.

Here goes nothing. "I know you were lying...you know, about the phone."

She stopped. I stopped too, but I continued talking.

"I mean, if you didn't want to talk to me, I'm fine with it. I just...well...you didn't have to lie just because you didn't want to talk to me."

Yumiko turned to me slowly. I noticed a sad smile on her face as she gave a soft laugh.

"The first time I saw you, I knew you weren't just any normal girl. I guess I was right."

Yumiko looked down on the ground. I still looked at her.

"You want to talk?" I asked. "Because if you don't, I'm fine with it. I just want to know if you're okay, that's all."

Yumiko looked up and smiled.

"Talking would be nice."

* * *

I sighed as I led Yumiko inside our house...or mansion, is more like it.

Yumiko and I finished cleaning the Home Ec room in silence and I invited her over to my house. She stared at her surroundings with wide eyes.

"Wow."

We were both staring at the living room. It was decorated with soft pastel colors and the furnitures were plush and comfortable. To our left was the TV with a sofa, several armchairs, beanbags, pillows and tables. A door leads outside to the patio. To our right was the grand piano along with tables, chairs, a mini-library, a huge fireplace and a door leading to the veranda. There were two wide doorways on both sides of the room that led to the kitchen and the dining room.

I led Yumiko past the living room and through the doorway to the kitchen.

"Come on. I'll introduce you to some of the people here."

We saw a stocky, heavy-set man hovering over the stove.

"Chef, I'm home."

He turned around and spoke in English with a heavy French accent even though I talked to him in Japanese.

"Ah, mademoiselle Akee, oh, and you have a friend."

"Yumi-chan, this is Chef Alphonse. Chef Al, this is my friend Sasaki Yumiko."

Chef Al went over to Yumiko and kissed her hand.

"It'z indeed a pleazure to meet ze friend of my dear Akee."

Yumiko bowed and answered in English.

"It's great to meet you too, Chef."

"Now you two teenagerz go talk. I'll have Izabel up in ze moment with ze iced tea."

"Ok, see ya Chef."

We walked out the kitchen and once we were out of earshot, I spoke.

"Chef Al's nice, but he's not really French. He's an American. He traveled a lot in his youth and knows a lot of dialects including Japanese. French and English are his favored languages though and prefers talking with that heavy accent. By the way, I didn't know you speak English."

Yumiko smiled. "Chef Al's nice and yes, I do know how to speak English a bit."

I led Yumiko past the empty dining room. The sprawling staircase was stretched out right across from us with oak furnishings and designs and a lush red carpet. I pointed out to her the glass doors leading to the back porch, the garden, swimming pool, the shed and the a small house for the maids. We then headed up the staircase.

Our mansion had three floors. The second floor contained the music room, the main library which was connected to the computer lab, the art studio, the darkroom which is hardly used, the gym, the tranquility room which was a room for rest and relaxation, the game room, the family room with speakers and complete home theater features, an office for my Dad and a special room which contained albums, awards, trophies and other family things. Some of the rooms had balconies that overlook our whole backyard.

The third floor of our house contained my room, my Dad's master bedroom and a whole lot of other guest rooms where we have some of the maids sleep in since it gets pretty lonely alone up there.

I offered to show the whole place to Yumiko, but she turned it down and said that it would take too long and that we had a lot to talk about. I can't argue with that.

I led her to the tranquility room. The room's floor changed from marble to wood once you stepped in. The walls were decorated with various peace signs and other relaxing paintings and pictures. Incense was burned and replaced constantly along with a radio that releases soothing music. Mats, tables and beanbags were placed in different spots on the floor, particularly near the shelves that contained different relaxation books. A TV set was in the corner with videos of yoga.

I sat down on one of the mats beside the radio and Yumiko sat down across from me. A table separated us.

A knock came and a girl of about 20 years old appeared carrying a tray.

"Good afternoon Aki-chan."

"Oh, hey Izabel. This is Yumiko. Yumi-chan this is my personal maid and friend Izabel. She's taken care of me since I was a little girl."

Yumiko bowed.

"It's a pleasure Izabel-san."

Izabel waved it away. "Oh, it's nothing. I brought some iced tea and some regular green tea in case you want it Yumiko-san. Aki here never drinks regular tea anyway.Now, enjoy yourselves."

She left with a small wave.

"So, you don't drink regular tea Aki-chan?" Yumiko sipped her green tea.

I shook my head. "Nope. I don't really like it, I guess."

We lapsed into silence.

* * *

Yumiko took a deep breath.

I nodded. "Go on."

"Ok, here goes. There are five of us in the family. There's my mom Chiyoko, she is a photographer and some of her pictures were featured on popular magazines. My dad Hideki works as an executive in a company. There's my older brother Sho, who recently turned 21, and is majoring in finance. My older sis Hana, who is 18 and is studying hotel and restaurant management in a college school."

I nodded. "I got you so far."

Yumiko nodded.

"Well, we had a pretty good life, but it all went down-hill when my father's secretary quit."

"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked.

"Otousan's previous secretary was a middle-aged woman who had a husband and kids. His new secretary is young, pretty and with no boyfriend at the age of 22. You got me?"

"Sheesh, I got you. Don't be all touchy and everything."

"Sorry."

I patted her hand.

"Come on. Don't be sorry. It's my fault anyway. Go on."

"Apparently, Sho started pursuing Emi, the secretary. He went often to otousan's office and asked her out on dates, all of which she refused. Sho went into a depressed mode and hung out frequently in his dorm. Hana also started acting weird and hung out more with her friends and okaasan started concentrating on otousan."

"So you're all alone?"

Yumiko ignored me and kept on talking.

"The problem started just a month ago when I went home really early from school because of a teacher's seminar. I was passing by my room when I noticed my parents talking in their room and already home from work. I was about to greet them when otousan suddenly walked out the room. When he saw me, he instantly pulled me along and despite okaasan's shouts, he dragged me to the car and drove off."

"You mean he kidnapped you or something?" I gasped.

Yumiko stared at me.

"No, stop exaggerating. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry."

"We stopped at a cafe and otousan told me everything. Okaasan had confessed that she was having an affair. When she went to otousan's office once, she met someone and realized that she had fallen out of love with him. It was too much for otousan. He loved okaasan and then out of the blue she just says that she's having an affair with somebody else."

"Man, that's awful." I squeezed her hand and pushed the cup of tea towards her. Yumiko took a drink.

"It gets worse. When Otousan and I reached home, we were met with important news from Hana. She said she was sorry about being...bad."

"Bad?"

From the way the story is progressing, I can't believe Yumiko would actually use a word like 'bad'. Maybe awful, dreadful or shocking, but not 'bad'.

Yumiko sighed.

"She said it not me. So anyway, we all talked it over in the living room and Hana confessed to us that she was in a relationship..."

I remained silent. I know there's something more to this.

"With who?"

Yumiko took a deep breath.

"As it turned out, Hana hooked up with Emi."

I blinked twice. "Emi? You mean your father's secretary?"

She nodded.

I blinked. "Oh...Well...I don't really have anything against that, do you?"

Yumiko shook her head.

"I don't. Nobody in the family did, except Sho. Sho liked Emi and he hated Hana for stealing her away. He wasn't really against Hana being a... well...a lesbian but he hated it that she took Emi away. Hana confessed that she already knew Emi even before she took up the job in otousan's office. They met in a bar and hit it right off, she said. Hana was actually the reason Emi found out about the secretary job and applied to it just so that they can be together."

"Oh." I nodded. "So what happened next?"

Yumiko looked down at her lap.

"We were okay with it, not Sho at first. But when Hana took Emi to meet us, Sho accepted her. Sho then hooked up with Emi's younger cousin who's 18, but all that's later on. Anyway, back to the talk in the living room. Otousan suddenly decided to tell us about okaasan's affair. She was going out with this guy who worked in a different department but still in otousan's company. Okaasan was outraged that otousan will suddenly tell us but she didn't deny it."

"What next?" I asked.

"Well, okaasan started shouting at him but otousan simply stood up, packed up and left. Before he left though, he hugged my older sibs and me. Okaasan didn't notice him slip us all a calling card number, while he slipped me a calling card number as well as a key."

Yumiko took a sip of tea.

"The next few weeks after that were pretty much silent. Okaasan still went out with her boyfriend, Hana went out with Emi, Sho went out with Emi's cousin. Otousan kept in touch with us and we found out that he was living in a new apartment. I was the only one he allowed to visit him there, hence the key he gave me. He told me that he had already suspected this all along and the apartment had been in standby in case of an emergency, turns out he was right. The real chaos started just the day before you came."

"Oh?"

Here it is, although I do have a suspicion as to what it was.

"You see, the divorce papers came that day. We all expected it to happen so there's no surprise there. Okaasan and otousan had already divided the house and all the articles beforehand. They also talked out everything so there are no legal matters to complicate things. The only problem was..."

I smiled softly at her.

"Who gets the child." I continued for her.

She nodded.

That's the hardest thing ever when it comes to divorce, the battle for custody of the children. Granted I'm not a divorced kid but I know a few things about it, especially how hard it is on who gets the children. I have a lot of cousins who have divorced parents and they all told me about how difficult it was.

"Have you already decided on who to go with?"

As expected, Yumiko shook her head.

"The thing is Sho decided to go with otousan, you know guys have to stick together. He already moved into the apartment yesterday. Hana decided to stay with okaasan. The house is too big for just them, so okaasan offered Emi to move in. She's working out a few things and will probably move in next week."

"And let me guess," I cut in. "You're the one left to choose."

Yumiko sighed.

"How do I choose between them? I'm closer to my otousan since I am daddy's girl but okaasan's a female and easier to relate with. I didn't talk to you yesterday because we were at the lawyer's and Hana and Sho's papers were signed."

She groaned and laid down on the floor. I walked over and sat beside her.

"Who do you want to be with?"

"I don't know." Yumiko admitted.

I patted her on the forehead.

"Hey!" Yumiko sat up.

"If I ask you that, what will be your instant answer."

"Both."

I sighed and smiled.

"You love them both I know. How much time do you have to decide?"

"I have to give my answer by..."

"By?"

"Tomorrow after school."

"Shit. That is a big problem."

Yumiko held my arm. "If you were me, what would you do?"

I thought about it.

"I don't know. It's difficult putting myself in your position. Mom died when I was five and, even though I love her so much, I can only remember her a little bit. Dad, on the other hand, has always been here for me. But...if Mom were still alive and I had to choose between them...I'll probably want to be with both of them too."

Yumiko jumped up.

"That's it!!!"

I stood up.

"What?"

Yumiko hugged me tight.

"Aki-chan, you're a genius!!!"

I gasped. "I know that and Yumi-chan you're suffocating me."

She let go of me and sat back down. "Oh...sorry. Anyway, I know what I'm going to do. Thank you."

I sat down again. "So?"

Yumiko shook her head.

"I'm not sure it'll work but I'll tell you if it does or doesn't."

I sighed. "Fine."

"Do you ever miss your Mom?"

I was startled by her question. It took me a while and I opened my mouth to speak but stopped.

"What is it?"

I shook my head.

"I thought I heard something, but anyway...yeah. I do miss having a Mom sometimes, but I'm fine with Dad."

"Tell me the truth." Yumiko looked at me seriously and I sighed.

This was the first time I talked to anybody outside of the family about Mom, except for Fuji. Fuji was my best friend then, so that was no problem. Now I'm talking to Yumiko about Mom and...

"Ok, I really really miss my Mom. Dad doesn't know about it but sometimes I go through our old albums just to see her face. Dad also doesn't know about it but before he threw away some of Mom's things years ago...I stole some and hid them. They're up in my room and sometimes I look at them to remind me of her."

"Do you want a Mom?"

I stared at her. "This doesn't have anything to do with your Mom, does it?"

Yumiko snorted. "No. She's too hung up on her boyfriend, and I won't do something like that."

"Well..." I thought about it. "I don't know. I'm used to just Dad and me and-"

_BRING...BRING..._

"Oops." Yumiko took out her phone. "That's mine...Hello?"

When she finished the call she stood up with a small smile.

"That was my Mom. We didn't notice the time. It's late."

I stared at my watch. It was nearing dinnertime.

"Oops."

* * *

I waved goodbye to Yumiko as our limousine took her home. I insisted that she ride the limo home. It was the least I could do after holding her up for a long time.

I closed the door and sighed. I do hope Yumiko gets everything settled with her family.

"Tanisha dear."

I looked up and smiled.

"Oh, hey Daddy. When did you get home?"

I hugged my Dad, who smiled and kissed me on the forehead.

"Just a little while ago. Izabel told me you had a guest over. I didn't want to bother your girlish chit-chat."

I laughed. As if.

"Oh come on. You said you hated me and my obsessive gossiping."

"I did." He tapped me on the nose. "But I also know when to let my little girl have her fun."

I stared up at him. "Who are you and what did you do to my Dad?"

He laughed. "Very funny dear. So, are you enjoying your new school?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I like it there. I really should introduce you to my friend Yumiko."

"Maybe next time, dear. You go on and eat and then it's straight to bed for you. You still have school tomorrow."

"Wait. Aren't you eating dinner with me?"

He shook his head.

"Some of my clients insisted on eating out with me."

I nodded. That was nothing new. Sometimes Dad's clients invite him to dinner. You know, to get his favor and all that.

"Ok. I'm going to eat. I'll come to your office when I'm done."

I kissed his cheek and went to the kitchen.

I wonder what Chef Al cooked up? And I do hope he bought some bananas.

* * *

**(Normal POV)**

Hamada Akio sighed and sank down on his office chair. He hated lying to his daughter, but he had no choice.

_**I'm gonna live my life**_

_**Like every day's the last**_

_**Without a simple goodbye**_

_**It all goes by so fast**_

The truth was that he had arrived early and was about to talk to Tanisha and meet her friend, like a good parent should. He arrived at the door just in time to hear her friend ask.

_"Do you ever miss your Mom?"_

_**And now that you're gone**_

_**I can't cry hard enough**_

_**No, I can't cry hard enough**_

_**For you to hear me now**_

Like a good parent, he should have walked away...but he eavesdropped on their conversation. The door was open just a tiny tiny bit, but it was enough for him to hear their conversation clearly. He even heard his daughter brazenly lie about it.

Her words rang in his mind.

_"Ok, I really really miss my Mom."_

_**Gonna open my eyes**_

_**And see for the first time**_

_**I let go of you like**_

_**A child letting go of his kite**_

Akio did everything he could to provide for his daughter. He worked hard and brought her up as best as he could. He was proud of his daughter and loved her very much. But apparently, his hard work did little to fill in the space where a Mom should be.

But still, he couldn't blame her.

_**There it goes, up in the sky**_

_**There it goes, beyond the clouds**_

_**For no reason why**_

_**I can't cry hard enough**_

_**No, I can't cry hard enough**_

_**For you to hear me now**_

Akio tool out a picture from his wallet. It was a picture of a five-year-old Tanisha and his wife, Takara. He could remember Takara's long red hair and her deep brown eyes.

"My dear, Takara." He spoke to the picture with a sad smile. "Why did you have to leave me? You left this world too early. You left a clueless man with a child...a child who is all grown up now and needing you now more than ever."

_**Gonna look back in vain**_

_**And see you standing there**_

_**When all that remains**_

_**Is an empty chair**_

He stood up, still holding the picture. He walked out to the balcony and leaned on the edge.

"What am I going to do Takara?" He looked at the picture. "You know I love you, and I still do...but...Tanisha needs a mom and I need a wife."

_**And now that you're gone**_

_**I can't cry hard enough**_

_**No, I can't cry hard enough**_

_**For you to hear me now**_

Akio pulled out a picture from his pocket. A pretty woman was on it.

"You probably know all about 'her' anyway, don't you? I met her last year when I went here to Japan for an important meeting. What do you think of her? She's nice and she really does want to meet Tanisha, but I don't know if our daughter will accept her."

_"Do you want a Mom?"_

_"Well...I don't know. I'm used to just Dad and me."_

_**There it goes, up in the sky**_

_**There it goes, beyond the clouds**_

_**For no reason why**_

_**I can't cry hard enough**_

_**No, I can't cry hard enough**_

_**For you to hear me now**_

Akio gave a meek laugh.

"You know how Tanisha is. She wouldn't accept anybody else as her Mom. She would think I was replacing you. Do you think I am replacing you?"

A gust of wind blew past Akio, caressing his face.

"I know you don't. I love you so much and I know you love me and Tanisha. I know you want only what's best for us. But is this what's best for us?"

As if in reply, Akio heard the soothing sound of the wind in his ears. He smiled and a lone tear fell down his face.

"I just hope Tanisha will learn to accept someone new, my love...and thank you. Thank you for understanding us. I love you."

_**And now that you're gone**_

_**I can't cry hard enough**_

_**No, I can't cry hard enough**_

_**For you to hear me now**_

* * *

A/N: You all probably know what this means. I wonder how she'll handle it? Stay tuned. Please review guys.

Love yah!!!

Rai

* * *


	10. The Party of the Century: Part 1

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**A/N:** Hey guys!!! I'm sorry that this one is a lot shorter than the others. Once you read it, you'll understand why. Hope you enjoy this one. I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you very much. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 10: The Party of the Century: Part 1**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Come on. I have to hurry. I have to hurry.

The school's gates swam into my vision. I passed it and ran straight inside the school. I ran to my locker, opened it in a hurry, slammed it closed and ran up the stairs.

I have to hurry or else.

I slammed the door to my classroom open.

"I'm here."

"Well, too bad. We all got here first."

"No way!!!"

I stared disbelievingly at Nami, Hiro, Izumi and Rin. Nami was smirking at me and was even sitting down at my chair. Hiro was simply grinning, amused. Izumi was laughing at me. Rin was looking as spacey as she usually does.

"Hey, what's going on?" Yumiko appeared behind me. "And you're earlier than usual Aki-chan."

Nami giggled.

"You see, dear Yumi-chan, little Am-girl here-"

I huffed. "Don't call me that."

Nami peered at me bored. "As I was saying, Am-girl here made a little bet with all of us. If she gets here before all of us, we are going to serve her for a whole week. If we get here first, she'll invite us to a swimming party at her mansion."

"Oh?" Yumiko looked at me. "Then that means..."

"We won!!!" Izumi jumped up.

I glared at her. "Aren't you and Rin supposed to go to your rooms? You're a sophomore so please have the decency to act civilized here of all places."

Izumi stuck her tongue out at me. "You're just cranky because you lost."

Hiro walked to me and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Am-girl. Now, you make the preparations and we will see you on Saturday for the party. We already told a few others about it, so expect a huge party."

"What?" I looked at them. "You mean you actually expected me to lose? That's mean!!!"

They nodded while Yumiko giggled.

"Anyway, Aki-chan, we better get going." Nami stood up and exited with Hiro.

Rin and Izumi bowed. "See you, Aki-senpai."

"So..." Yumiko sat down beside me. "You're actually going to invite them?"

I sighed and sat down. "I have no choice. A deal is a deal. You want to come? I won't mind if you come."

Yumiko smiled and nodded. "Thank you. I'll come."

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Today's the day Yumiko has that meeting with the lawyers. I wonder who she'll choose. Yumiko's pretty vague about that. No matter. I'll ask her at the swimming party.

* * *

"Hey Kikumaru-kun!!!" I ran after the red-head. 

"Oh, hey Aki-chan!!!" Eiji waved at me. "Nya, do you need anything?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come over to my house on Saturday."

Eiji cocked his head to the side. "What for, nya?"

I smiled. "Me and a few others are going to have a swimming party. Do you want to come?"

Eiji jumped up. "Yes!!! I want to come. Thank you for inviting me!!!"

Eiji gave me a huge glomp and I giggled.

"Ok. Here's my address." I gave him a slip of paper. "The others are coming over at around 5. You can invite some people to come so that you won't feel out of place or anything. Just not too many ok?"

Eiji started bouncing around. "Promise!!! Thank you Aki-chan!!!"

Eiji then ran off. I smiled and went off in the opposite direction.

I don't really know what made me invite Eiji, maybe he's starting to grow on me. Besides, Eiji's fun and I owe him a lot for being nice to me.

I smirked. Things are sure going to get interesting on Saturday. I better make sure that some of the security cameras are directed at the pool for safety reasons. Yup, for safety reasons, and not because I feel as if some interesting things are going to happen. Nope, definitely not.

By the way, I wonder who Eiji will invite?

* * *

"So let's see, the five of you are going, plus Kikumaru-kun and whoever he will invite. Hiro invited five from JAM and Izumi invited six sophomores. That makes it a total of about 25 or so." I checked my list. 

"25? I counted 17." Nami read over my list and continued snacking on her chips.

"I highly doubt that someone like Eiji-senpai would only invite 2 or 3 people." Izumi took the list from Nami. "Aki-senpai is right. I go for the 25 count."

Yumiko offered me some of her sushi.

"Arigatou Yumi-chan."

We were all sitting at the back of the school and figuring out how many people are going to come on Saturday, which is the day after tomorrow. I won't have any problem convincing Dad about the party and Chef Al to cook. I used to throw parties back in L.A. so they're all used to it.

"Do you throw parties back when you were in L.A. Am-girl?" Hiro spoke up.

I nodded. "Yeah. Usually at parties like this about 50 or so people will come."

"That many?" Rin asked, then grinned. "Ooohhh...I better bring my camera."

I looked back down at my list to hide a grin. "You'd better."

It won't do good to mention that I'll have video cameras around. It'll ruin the excitement and the possibility of catching some people in the act, if you know what I mean.

I pulled out my cellphone.

"Aki-chan, no phones." Yumiko grabbed the phone from me with a frown.

"Aw, come on Yumi-chan." I pouted. "If I want to know how many people are coming, I have to call Dad and get his list."

"What list?" Hiro asked.

"You see, whenever Dad allows me to hold parties, I have to invite specific people on his list. They're usually the sons or daughters of his business partners and all that." I sighed and reached out for my phone. "Come on Yumi-chan. Please give me back my phone."

"Yeah Yumiko-senpai." Izumi agreed with me. "If Aki-senpai finds out how many people are coming, then I can figure out who else I'm inviting."

I glared at her. "Thanks a lot."

Yumiko sighed. "Fine."

I hugged my best friend. "Thank you."

I settled down and dialed my Dad's number.

* * *

"Aki-chan, calm down." Yumiko patted me on the shoulder. 

"But Yumi-chan, look at it." I whined and handed her the paper that stretched as long as my arm. Ok, I'm exaggerating. My handwriting's just a little big, but still...

"So?" Hiro asked with a bored look.

I threw my empty obento at him, which he evaded. "I have to invite all these people, duh. What the heck was my Dad thinking?!"

Nami suddenly squealed while reading the list.

"What is it, cousin?" Izumi and Rin looked over her shoulder.

"Am-girl, did you even read the names on this list?" She looked at me as if I was nuts.

I shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"Wait. You mean, you know all these people?" Rin asked.

I nodded. What's so weird about that list? Dad and I used to visit Japan a lot back when we used to live in L.A. We always attended those parties held by his business partners and I got to meet their kids. So-

Oh my.

I smirked.

Dad, I love you!!!!

I grabbed the list from Nami and read through it quickly.

Yes!!! A lot of these people are people I knew. It won't be difficult to hook them up with-

"Aki-chan? Why are you smirking?" Yumiko shook my arm.

"Oh nothing." I stood up just as the bell rang. "You guys had better be there at my party. I guarantee it'll be...fun. Lots and lots of fun."

* * *

**A/N:** So? Get ready for the party!!! I promise I'll have the next chappie up as soon as I can. 

Bye!!!

Rai

* * *


	11. The Party of the Century: Part 2

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! The party starts here!!! Hope you enjoy this one. I know this chapter might be a little bit confusing, but I'll make sure the next few chapters run smoothly so you can see what everybody's doing. 

I want to thank all those who reviewed. Thank you very much. Please read and review.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 11: The Party of the Century: Part 2**

**(Tanisha POV)**

Today's Saturday, finally. I've got everything ready.

The food is set up near the pool. The sound system is set up and ready for some music. The pool was cleaned really early. I've invited all the guests in my list and on Dad's list as well. All that's left are...

"Iza-chan, have the maids moved out?" I asked.

"Yes Aki-chan. They set up all their things in the third floor. You can now use the house at the back." Izabel answered.

* * *

(A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but I want to clear up that there are two homes in Aki's mansion. The main house where she lives and the maids' own little house at the back. They will all be staying in the house at the back. Ok? Now, read on.)

* * *

I glomped the older girl. 

"Thank you Iza-chan. I'm responsible for anything that gets broken there. I promise."

Izabel smiled back. "I know. By the way, the video cameras are set up, as well as the security cameras for safety reasons." She grinned at me.

I nodded and giggled. "Yup, safety reasons."

"Mademoiselle Akee, everything iz ready."

I nodded. "Thank you Chef Al."

Finally, all preparations are done with thanks to Izabel, Chef Al and all the staff. I wonder when Nami and the others are getting here? It's 5 already.

_BUZZZ...BUZZZZZZ...BUZZZZZZZZZZ..._

Yup, right on time.

"Aki, your guests are here." Izabel called out.

"I'm coming. Hey guys!!!"

Nami and the others were scattered over my living room. Izumi was staring at everything with wide-eyes. Nami was thanking Izabel. Rin was sitting down in the living room and staring at everything. Hiro was busy staring at the grand piano in the living room.

"Hey Aki-chan." Nami went over and hugged me. "You've got a nice house."

I smiled. "Thanks Nami-chan. Thank you Izabel."

Izabel left us. Izumi was still staring at everything. "This isn't a house. It's a freaking mansion!!!"

Rin giggled and threw a pillow at Izumi. "Of course. They're rich, duh."

Izumi suddenly had a smirk on her face. She went and knocked the pillow on Nami's head.

"Take that cousin."

Nami looked back at her. "You did not just do that!!!"

I laughed. "Go on."

The three then started their own pillow fight. I walked over to Hiro.

"Do you play?" I asked him.

Hiro nodded and looked at me. "A little. Do you?"

I shook my head. "No. I didn't have the patience for it. I hated all those directions my piano teacher gave me. My Dad's the one who plays. Do you want to play?"

Hiro shook his head. "No, it's-"

"It's no problem." I pushed him down on the bench and lifted the cover. Ivory keys gleamed back at us.

"Go on." I sat down beside him.

With a deep breath, Hiro began to play. It was the most beautiful piece I've ever heard. Nami and the others stopped what they were doing and listened.

Just when the piece was getting good, I heard a clapping sound. We all looked and saw my Dad standing near the hall.

"Dad."

When Hiro and the others heard me say that, they instantly stood to attention.

Hiro took a deep bow.

"I apologize for using your piano, Hamada-san. I-"

"Oh no." Dad walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't mind it at all."

I tugged my Dad's arm. "Dad, these are my friends Hiro, Nami, Izumi and Rin."

All four bowed, but my Dad simply waved a hand.

"No need for formalities, children." He walked over to the piano and plucked the keys. "I love it when people, especially young people, play my piano. My dear Tanisha here is impatient and didn't even last a week under her piano teacher when she was five-"

I jumped up. "Dad, I thought we agreed never to talk about that."

Dad looked up at the ceiling. "I do recall as well that she had even acted sick at that second week. She was quite an actress, you know. She was very convincing, until Izabel came in with medicine and shots."

Nami and Izumi stiffled a giggle.

I pointed at him. "Dad, you traitor. How dare you embarrass me?"

Dad simply looked at me with a grin. "You do enough of that yourself." He looked back at the others. "I also remember when that time when I sent her to camp. She threatened to sue the head counselor if she wasn't sent back home within the week. I also recall that she never did make it home."

I blushed. No way. He still remembers that?

Izumi spoke up. "Why is that Hamada-san?"

Dad opened his mouth to talk but I quickly jumped up.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Now come on."

Rin smiled. "This has something to do with Fuji-san, is that it?"

I blushed deeper as Dad laughed heartily.

"Correct my dear." Dad smiled. "Fuji, her bunkmate at that time, convinced her not to leave."

Nami looked at me with an amused look. "So I see. Fuji is it?"

I glared at her. "Shut up."

"Now now, daughter. That isn't nice."

_BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ..._

"No need Izabel. I'll open it." Dad called out and went to the door. While his back was turned, Hiro and Izumi started teasing me.

"Aki and Fuji sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G." They sang.

I glared harder. "Shut-"

"Ah," Dad's voice called out. "We were just talking about you."

No way. It can't be.

"Saa, is that so Hamada-san? I feel honored."

Dad stepped out of the way. "Dear, some of your friends are here as well. I didn't know you invited Fuji."

Fuji stepped inside with a smile.

"But I didn't-"

Oh no, he didn't.

"Eiji!!!" I shouted.

Eiji appeared behind Fuji. He looked scared.

"Ano...um...I'm sorry Aki-chan!!!" He ran over to me and hugged my waist. "He forced it out of me!!! The others heard about it and they all wanted to come!!!"

Tezuka appeared and bowed to Dad and me.

"I am Tezuka Kunimitsu, Hamada-san, and I apologize about coming here uninvited."

Dad patted him on the shoulder. "No problem at all, son. Come in everyone." He waved the others in.

"Eiji, you invited the tennis team regulars?!" I shouted.

Eiji yelped and held on to me. "I'm sorry!!!"

Dad chuckled. "Dear, if you don't forgive him, you're friend might have a seizure."

I sighed. "Fine Kikumaru-kun, but you owe me."

He smiled and let go of me. He gave a mock salute. "Aye aye, nya."

Dad walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. He smiled at everyone.

"You can all go and get your things in the house at the back. I know teenagers will be teenagers, but still I wish to make a few rules. You are free to go about the main house just as long as you aren't wet and make sure you don't make a mess. You can be as loud as you like as long as there's no fighting. If you wish to leave, tell Tanisha and if you need anything, the staff are here to help. Understood?"

Everyone nodded. Seriously, Dad is such a good host.

"You're willing to leave your home to a couple of teenagers?" Momoshiro asked, only to have the rest glare at him.

Dad laughed. "I know it seems weird, but having Tanisha as my daughter teaches me a lot about teenagers." Dad headed to the kitchen, but not before looking back at us. "I forgot one important rule. The house at the back has no cameras and whatnot, if any of you wish for some 'private time' that's the best place to go."

I blushed as well as some of my guests. "DAD!!! That was uncalled for!!!"

Dad laughed and headed out the room.

"Seriously, that Dad of mine is so weird."

"He's your old man. It's obvious he got it from you." Izumi commented.

"Hey Aki-senpai, can we put our things down now?" Ryoma commented.

"Hey to you too, brat." I sighed and smiled at all of them. Come on, act as hostess.

"Ok guys, come on. I'll show you where you can keep your things."

* * *

**(Normal POV) **(since it's easier this way) 

"Aki-chan, some of your guests are here." Izabel called out.

Tanisha stood up from the chair beside the pool. A lot of people have already arrived, the Seigaku regulars, Nami, Izumi, Rin, Hiro, a few sophomore friends of Rin and Izumi and a few JAM members...and it was only 5:30. They were all set up in rooms and some of the others had changed into their suits. Eiji and Momo were having a water fight with Rin and Izumi. Hiro and Nami were sitting on lounge chairs and were busy talking to a few sophomores and JAM members. Tezuka and a few others were lying around or swimming.

"Send them in, Iza-chan." Tanisha called out and ran over to greet the newcomers. They all strode in to the side of the pool.

"Hey!!! What are you doing here?!" Eiji called out.

"I could say the same thing!!!"

"Oh? You know each other?" Tanisha asked.

"Unfortunately yes."

"Now now Gakuto. Be nice." Yuushi stepped in. "Hello to you Aki-chan. You look pretty as usual."

She smiled. "Why thank you Yuushi-kun."

"Aki-chan, Ore-sama thanks you for this invitation." Atobe stepped forward and took her hand.

"Keigo, I'm so glad you could come. I take it this is your team." Tanisha smiled at him.

"Yes, Ore-sama apologizes for Gakuto."

"No problem." She smiled as she saw four more come in.

"Jiroh, Ryoh. I'm glad you could come. Who are these?"

"Thanks for inviting us, Aki." Ryoh smiled. "This are Choutarou and Wakashi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you and don't worry about it, Ryoh. I can't have a party and not invite you guys."

"Ne Aki-chan." Jirou yawned.

Tanisha laughed and pointed Jirou over to an empty lounge chair. He ran over to it, laid down and instantly feel asleep.

"Ne Tashi-chan, I didn't know you knew the Hyotei team." Fuji walked over to me.

"I only know Yuushi, Keigo, Jiroh, Ryoh, Gakuto and Kabaji. I met them at one of Atobe's parties." She answered. "Iza-chan, please show them the rooms. Keigo gets the one near the hall."

Izabel led them away, followed by Kabaji who was carrying Atobe's bags.

_BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ..._

Tanisha ran inside and straight to the front door. When she got to the living room, Nato-san the butler had already opened the door and let the guests in. Once she saw them, she beamed.

"Oh my God. Seiichi!!!" She hugged the delicate-looking buchou of Rikkaidai.

Seiichi smiled and hugged the girl back. "Aki-chan, it is so good to see you back in Japan."

She hugged him tighter. "I missed you."

Seiichi smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I missed you too. I hope you're doing fine in Seigaku."

Tanisha nodded. "Of course."

Sanada cleared his throat. Tanisha and Seiichi laughed. Seiichi let go of the girl in his arms.

"Nice to see you Sanada. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting us Aki. I would like to introduce Yanagi Renji, Marui Bunta, Kuwahara Jackal and Kirihara Akaya. Two of our members couldn't come."

Tanisha bowed. "It's okay. Hello. I'm Aki. Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy the party."

"Yes!!! Let's go party!!!" Marui shouted before dragging off his teammates. He stopped. "Um...where to, Aki-san?"

Tanisha giggled and led the way while arm in arm with Seiichi.

* * *

"Did you see who Aki-senpai came with?" Izumi whispered to Nami. 

"You mean the whole Rikkai regulars?" Nami asked. "I must admit, she's something else. She managed to bring them here. And why are you whispering?"

Izumi huffed. "Because I don't want Fuji-senpai hearing. That's not the point. Aki-senpai came in arm-in-arm with THE Yukimura Seiichi."

Nami sighed. "Meaning?"

Izumi patted her cousin on the head. "Meaning that something is going on between them."

Nami looked at her cousin. "Maybe they're just good friends."

"Oh really?" Izumi snorted. "Look."

Nami looked and what she saw shocked her. There on a lounge chair sitting side by side were Tanisha and Seiichi. They were happily conversing and most important of all, their fingers were intertwined.

"Now look at Fuji-senpai." Izumi pointed.

Nami looked and she was amused to see Fuji talking to Tezuka. The thing that amused her a lot was that Fuji was almost crushing the styrofoam cup in his hand.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Nami looked to see her cousin grinning.

"Yup." Izumi nodded. "I'll go get Hiro and Rin. You go get Am-girl."

Nami giggled. "Sure thing."

While Izumi ran off cackling to herself, Nami stalked over casually to the two lovebirds.

"Am-girl." Nami walked over.

Tanisha looked up. "Oh hey. Seiichi-kun, this is Fujiwara Nami. Nami-chan, this is Yukimura Seiichi-kun."

Nami bowed. "Nice to meet you."

Seiichi smiled. "Same to you."

"Listen Am-girl, do you think I can talk to you for a sec. It's really important. I hope you don't mind Yukimura-san."

Seiichi nodded. "Go on Aki-chan."

Tanisha pouted. "Ok. I'll see you late Seiichi-kun."

Nami quickly dragged off Tanisha.

"Am-girl, you are going to tell us what's going on or else."

* * *

"Ne, Oishi." Eiji walked over to his doubles partner. "What did you think of that?" 

Oishi smiled. "You mean of Aki-san and Yukimura-san? I don't really know Eiji. They seem close."

Eiji pouted and slumped down on the lounge chair Oishi's sitting on.

"That's the whole point, nya. Fujiko's acting weird because Aki-chan suddenly comes in with Yukimura-san. Look, he's practically killing his cup."

Oishi looked and was surprised to see that Eiji was right. Fuji was still talking to Tezuka, but his hand was locked firmly around his cup.

"You're right, but we can't do anything about it." Oishi sighed.

"If Fujiko and Aki-chan are going to end up together, we have to eliminate all competition between them."

Oishi looked at Eiji, who had a thoughtful look on his face. "Eiji stop it. Don't do anything. Let them deal with their own problems."

"Oishi, do you really think Fuji is just going to walk in and take Aki? And do you think Aki-chan will just let Fuji do that?"

Oishi shook his head. "No."

Eiji jumped up. "See. That's why we have to help him. Now...I wonder how we'll do that."

Oishi sighed. He better find a way to stop Eiji before he does something stupid.

* * *

"This is getting interesting, do you agree Sadaharu?" 

"Oh yes, Renji. Things are getting very interesting."

"Shall we spike the punch?"

"I don't think that's advisable. Aki-san can throw us out and we won't be able to gather all this data."

"I suppose you are right. Shall we continue spying on everyone, Sadaharu?"

"Yes, Renji, let's."

* * *

"Ne Atobe?" 

Atobe looked up and saw Yuushi standing over him.

"What is it? Can't you see Ore-sama is resting?"

Yuushi stood near Atobe's lounge chair.

"Did you see Aki-chan with the Rikkai buchou?"

Atobe grimaced. "Unfortunately Ore-sama did. Ore-sama has always thought of Aki-chan with that Seigaku tensai, Fuji. You know how she always talked about him."

"Ne Yuushi Atobe." Gakuto walked over to the two, while munching on some chips. "Did you see Aki-chan-"

"Yes we did Gakuto." Atobe interrupted him. "Now move aside. You are blocking Ore-sama's vision."

"Sheesh." Gakuto stepped aside. "Ne Yuushi, are we just going to let Aki-chan go all love-love with that Rikkai dude?"

Yuushi's eyebrows twitched. "Love-love?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well, what Aki-chan does with her love life is not our concern." Yuushi said.

"That's right." Atobe nodded. "But just to be sure, tell everyone to keep an eye on her. We'll be hearing from Hamada-san if anything goes wrong with her."

Yuushi and Gakuto nodded and left to tell the other Hyotei regulars.

* * *

"Ok. We can do this the hard way or the easy way." 

Tanisha sighed as she was pushed down on the living room's couch. "Nami-chan, what is this about?"

Nami smirked. "As if you didn't know."

Hiro grinned. "This is about you and a certain Rikkai."

Tanisha rolled her eyes. "You mean Seiichi? What about him?"

"You came in with him arm in arm, you act all friendly and close, you never once let go of each other, you were sitting in a lounge chair holding hands..." Rin counted everything in her fingers.

Tanisha sighed. "Seiichi is a really really close friend."

"How close?" All four asked.

"Because in all honesty, I don't believe you two are JUST friends." Nami looked down at Tanisha, who blushed.

"Yup, I knew something was going on!!!" Izumi shouted.

Tanisha shushed her. "Quiet down. Seiichi really is just a close friend. I met him at a party when I visited Japan several years ago. He was sweet and he and I grew really close. He's my best friend and I..."

Tanisha trailed off and started mumbling something under her breath.

"What?" All four asked eagerly.

"The thing is I-"

_BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ..._

Tanisha stood up. "There's the door, I'll get it."

All four groaned. "Darn it."

Tanisha opened the door.

"Kippei, Ann. It's good to see you. And who are these?"

Ann smiled and pushed her companion forward. "Sorry we're a little late. This is Sakuno. She's from Seigaku like you. Sakuno-chan, this is Aki-senpai."

Tanisha nodded. "I do remember seeing you. It's nice to meet you Sakuno-chan."

Sakuno bowed. "A-Arigatou, A-Aki-senpai."

Tanisha smiled and turned to Kippei.

"Thank you for the invitation Aki-chan. These are Kamio Akira and Ibu Shinji."

She bowed. "Please do come in."

* * *

"Come on. Let's crank up the tunes." Marui went over to the sound system and riffled through the CDs there. He picked one and placed it in the player. Instantly, music erupted from the speakers. 

It wasn't long before some of the people started dancing. Marui went over to a cute Seigaku senior he recently met.

"Hey Kia-chan. Come on."

"Hey Izumi!!!" Momoshiro walked over to the sophomore who suddenly appeared. "Come on, you want to dance?"

Izumi nodded with a grin. "Try to keep up."

"Hah!!! You dance?! As if!!!"

Momo and Izumi saw a certain Akira Kamio approach them.

"What are you doing here?" Momo asked.

"Aki-san invited us here, duh."

Momo groaned. "I'm here to relax and party, not to bother with you. Come on Izu-chan."

Kamio frowned before grabbing Ann. "Come on Ann-chan. Let's dance!!!"

* * *

Tanisha smiled as her guests started dancing and having fun. 

"Aren't you joining in?"

Tanisha was startled. "Fuji, you startled me."

The Seigaku tensai smiled. "Really?"

Tanisha went back to watching her guests. "Shouldn't you also be joining in?"

"You will be missed more than me. You are the hostess, so you shouldn't be hiding inside."

"Can I ask you a question?" Tanisha looked back at Fuji. "Why did you come here to my party?"

Fuji opened his eyes. "Because you're here."

"I thought I made it clear to you that I'm not-"

Fuji stepped closer to her. "What? That you won't fall for me?"

Tanisha stepped back, but Fuji grabbed her arm. "Fuji let me go. I can very well have you thrown out, you know that."

Fuji sighed but didn't let go. "Fine Tashi-chan. Be this way. But the night's still young. There will be plenty of chances for me to get you alone."

Fuji closed his eyes and let go. "Ja." With a last smile, he left.

* * *

A/N: Fuji's right!!! The night's still young and presents more opportunities. For what? You'll see. 

Here's a guest list for you all. I'll put this in each chapter concerning the party so you all won't get confused.

**Seigaku**

Hamada Tanisha

Sasaki Yumiko - she'll arrive later on

Fuji Syuusuke

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Echizen Ryoma

Eiji Kikumaru

Oishi Shuichiroh

Inui Sadaharu

Momoshiro Takeshi

Kaidoh Kaoru

Kawamura Takashi

Fujiwara Nami

Fujiwara Izumi

Edagawa Hiro

Watanabe Rin

Ryuuzaki Sakuno

Five JAM members, including Kia (Marui's dance partner) (all are girls)

Six sophomores (all girls)

**Hyotei**

Atobe Keigo

Oshitari Yuushi

Mukahi Gakuto

Ohtori Choutarou

Shishido Ryoh

Kabaji Munehiro

Akutagawa Jiroh

Hiyoshi Wakashi

**Fudomine**

Tachibana Kippei

Tachibana Ann

Ibu Shinji

Kamio Akira

**Rikkaidai**

Yukimura Seiichi

Sanada Genichirou

Yanagi Renji

Marui Bunta

Kuwahara Jackal

Kirihara Akaya

I hope I didn't forget anybody. I'm still thinking of who to invite...Hmm...

Stay tuned!!! Don't forget to review!!!

Rai

* * *


	12. The Party of the Century: Part 3

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! The next chappie's here!!! Hope you enjoy this one. I want to thank all those who reviewed. The previous chapter seemed to be my most reviewed chapter by far. Thank you very very much. It means a lot to me. Please read and review. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 12: The Party of the Century: Part 3**

**(Normal POV)**

"Kirihara, put me down!!!" The poor female Seishun sophomore shouted as a certain fellow sophomore carried her off.

"Come on, Miko-chan. You've been sitting there for a long time. Let's go swimming!!!" Kirihara shouted and jumped in the pool with the poor girl hanging from his shoulder. It's interesting to note that despite Kirihara's small stature, he was able to haul off a struggling Miko.

As soon as the two sophomores surfaced, Miko lunged at Kirihara and pushed his head down. "Kirihara you jerk!!!" The poor victim gasped for air once he was finally released.

"You know," Tanisha passed the two while carrying a large tray full of drinks. She stood by the side of the pool with a devilish smirk. "If you two are going to start your little flirting games, do it in the house."

Miko moved away from Kirihara and blushed. "Aki-senpai that is SO not true."

Kirihara pounced on her and brought the two of them underwater. Everyone was amused to see a furiously blushing Miko and a smirking Kirihara resurface.

Tanisha laughed and went off carrying her tray. She approached the Rikkai regulars who were watching the two in the pool play around. Jackal and Seiichi were simply watching the whole thing amused. Sanada was shaking his head. Marui was completely ignoring the scene and was talking to Kia. Renji was nowhere to be seen.

"I apologize for that, Aki." Sanada said.

Tanisha laughed and handed him a cup. "Don't worry about it. This party is for fun, so relax a bit."

Tanisha turned to Seiichi. "Here."

"You know," Seiichi took the cup. "You are overworking yourself. As hostess, you need to relax."

Tanisha nodded. "I know, but I do have to entertain guests." And avoid Fuji, she added in her mind.

* * *

"Man. Now that is disgusting." Ryoh couldn't help commenting as Kirihara and Miko continued on with their flirting. 

"You really shouldn't criticize other people, you know."

The Hyotei player looked behind him and saw a female his age. She was smirking at him.

"And you really should mind your own business, miss." Ryoh turned his back on her and was about to leave, when she spoke.

"Are Hyotei players really this hostile? Or maybe they really are the narcissistic, egotistical brats they're rumored to be?" She commented in an off-hand manner while sipping her drink.

Ryoh turned to her. He wasn't usually hostile to females. He actually hated arguing with people of the opposite sex. He was taught to respect females, but not when they're obviously insulting him.

"And are Seigaku females usually this nosy? Or maybe they really are the flirts they're rumored to be?"

Instead of being insulted though, the female smiled. "It's the nature of females to be curious and to sometimes be a flirt. It's an unavoidable thing."

Ryoh smirked. Truth be told, this female was catching his interest. It's rare to find a female who can actually match wits with a Hyotei. "Is being witty the nature of females as well?"

She smiled sweetly. "Maybe. I'll take that as a compliment." She reached out a hand. "The name's Erika, Seigaku student, senior year, liked for being independent, a musician and a nice senpai, hated for liking sports, being too witty, nosy and is constantly blamed for being a flirt."

Ryoh took the hand and smiled. Yes, this girl really was interesting. "Ryoh, Hyotei senior, generally liked and generally hated, blamed constantly for liking girls who are too witty, sporty, nosy and blamed for being flirts."

Erika smiled. "I'll take you up on that." She gave him a last smile. "Ja ne." And with that, she left.

Ryoh smiled and glanced at the paper she slipped into his hand, numbers were scribbled on it. He tucked it away in his pocket. "Smooth Erika-chan, really smooth."

He really should thank Tanisha for inviting him here in the first place.

* * *

Tanisha headed towards the table where all the food was and put down her tray. The reason she was serving was to keep her mind off of Fuji and be too busy for him to pursue her. It was working, but her arms hurt from carrying the tray. 

Tanisha wandered over to the side of the pool and watched with amusement. Momo and Izumi were busy talking while sitting on the edge of the pool. She was about to shout out to them, but the next thing she knew...she was falling forward, and fast.

Everybody turned silent as the hostess herself fell to the pool, even Eiji, who was acting deejay, stopped the music. A figure stood near the spot where she was once standing, trembling.

Tanisha surfaced. She pushed her hair from her eyes and gave a scream.

"Who pushed me?!"

Everyone in the vicinity pointed at the trembling figure. Tanisha turned and glared.

"It was an accident, Aki-chan!!!" Gakuto shouted. "I was-"

"50 DOLLARS to whoever gets Gakuto into this pool!!!" Tanisha shouted.

Instantly, Eiji lunged at him, as well as a few others near Gakuto. Gakuto ran off shouting, but Gakuto was no match for the dozens of people who are all vying for 50 dollars. Somebody was successful enough to push him in the pool. Guess who it was.

"G-Gomen, I-I didn't mean to."

Tanisha pulled herself up the edge. She gave Gakuto a superior grin and walked towards Sakuno.

"Sakuno-chan, it's okay." Tanisha patted the stuttering girl on the back.

"Sakuno-chan, that was so cool." Ann hugged her friend. "What happened?"

Sakuno glanced at Gakuto who was wading over to the opposite side of the pool. "A-Ano, when he was running h-he accidentally grabbed one of my pigtails and I-I p-pushed him. Gomen, I didn't mean to do it."

"Don't worry about it. He had it coming." Ryoma approached the little group. The cap-wearing freshman sipped his Ponta and crushed the can. "Ne Aki-senpai, got any more?"

Sakuno blushed when she noticed her beloved prince wearing only his cap and swim trunks. Ann was smirking at her friend.

Tanisha glanced at the red Sakuno before nodding to Ryoma. "Yeah, I got some in the kitchen. Help yourself and grab one for me too."

Ryoma walked away. Ann elbowed Sakuno in the ribs.

Tanisha grinned at the two. "Come on. I'll give you your reward."

* * *

Tezuka sighed as everything went back to normal. He sometimes think Tanisha is weird, but then again she is a friend of Fuji. The Seigaku buchou wandered into the main house and to the living room. Just as he arrived, the doorbell rang. 

_BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ..._

Tezuka thought about opening the door himself, when a maid entered the room while carrying a tray filled with cups. Tezuka remembered her as Izabel.

"Oh a guest." Izabel sounded relieved. "Um...listen, I have somebody in the kitchen looking for Ponta and I'm a little busy. I was wondering if you could please open the door and entertain the guest."

Tezuka nodded and Izabel bowed low while balancing her tray. "Thank you so much."

Izabel left and Tezuka walked towards the door. He was wondering if he looked presentable with his unbuttoned polo shirt and swim trunks. If it was a party guest then it would be all right, but if it was a normal house guest then it would be pretty surprising to see a half-naked young man greet you at the door. In the end, Tezuka opened the door. He was surprised to see a girl his age sitting down at the foot of the door.

"Um...miss?" Tezuka crouched down to her eye level. When she looked up, Tezuka was surprised to see who it was.

"Tezuka-san." Yumiko spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"Sasaki-san, is something wrong?" Tezuka suddenly noticed Yumiko's bleeding leg. "What happened?"

Yumiko winced. "I was running late and I needed to tell Aki-chan some good news. I was in such a hurry that I...tripped." She gave an embarrassed laugh.

Tezuka simply grabbed Yumiko's bag and carried the young maiden bridal-style.

"T-Tezuka-san?" Yumiko blushed.

Tezuka simply closed the door behind him and walked off.

* * *

"Hey Keigo, can you lend me a 50? I need to pay these girls. I'll pay you back later." 

Atobe looked up from his laptop. He turned towards Kabaji. "Ne Kabaji, get Ore-sama's book. Ore-sama's sure there is one stuck in there."

"Usu." Atobe watched as Kabaji pulled out a book from the bag on the floor. He distinctly heard the two girls behind Tanisha whispering.

"I can't believe he uses 50 dollars as a bookmark."

"I guess when you're rich, you're rich."

Atobe flickered through the pages of the book Kabaji handed to him. "Kabaji get the other one. This one has the 100 in it."

Tanisha sweat-dropped. "That's a little over the top Keigo." Atobe simply forked over the 50 and watched as the two girls walked away.

"Keigo," Tanisha turned to him and squeezed the water out of her hair. "I'll give you a copy of all video footage of this party and we forget the 50."

Atobe grinned. "How fortunate for Ore-sama to have lost a bookmark then."

"Hey Aki-senpai." Ryoma walked over to them with two cans of Ponta on hand. "Buchou's over at the kitchen with Yumiko-senpai. Senpai had an accident."

Tanisha gasped and walked off, leaving a curious Atobe. Ryoma simply walked off after having delivered the news.

* * *

"Um...excuse me." 

Jiroh groaned as he was prodded awake again. This is the fourth time someone woke him up. First it was Atobe, then it was Eiji with his music, then it was that little scene where Tanisha fell in the pool and now this.

Jiroh yawned and sat up, only to come face to face with a girl. "What is it?"

"Um...that's my spot." She pointed to the lounge chair. Jiroh noticed the bag on the floor and the towel he was leaning on.

He sighed and sat up. "Here. Sorry."

"Wait." The girl placed a hand on his arm. "I mean, you can stay I guess. I just needed my towel."

Jiroh handed it over and watched as she wrapped the towel around her shoulders.

"Um...I'm Reiko." She reached out a hand. Jiroh took it with a smile.

"Jiroh. Sorry about invading your space."

Reiko grinned. "Nah, I've seen you moving from place to place. You should know that it's difficult to get some sleep when you're in a party with teenagers."

Jiroh shook his head. "I know. I can't help it I guess."

Jiroh moved over as Reiko sat down beside him. The next thing Jiroh knew, he and Reiko were talking and laughing. For the first time ever, Jiroh was in no mood to get some sleep.

* * *

"Hey, Yumi-chan. Are you all right? What happened to you?" Tanisha walked inside the kitchen to see a wounded Yumiko sitting down on the counter with Tezuka examining her leg. 

"I'm fine, Aki-chan. Don't worry." Yumiko assured her friend. "It's just a scratch."

"It's more than just a scratch." Tezuka corrected her.

"Saa, what is going on in here?" Fuji walked in. "Echizen's going around telling everyone about an accident."

"I'm fine Fuji-san, really." Yumiko tried to say. "I just-OW!!!"

Tezuka groaned. "We need to clean this up. Aki-san do you have a first-aid kit?"

Tanisha nodded. "Yeah, in the cabinet to your left. We make it a point to have a kit in every room."

Fuji walked over to get the kit. He handed it to Tezuka. "How bad is it?"

Tezuka crouched down on the floor. He opened the kit and examined the bottles, dressing and bandages inside. "A little deep, but it'll heal in a week or so." He looked up at Yumiko. "Where did you trip?"

Yumiko blushed in embarrassment. "Near the gates."

Tanisha winced. "That explains the wound. That is the worst place to trip. And why the heck were you rushing anyway?"

Yumiko looked down. "Well, I was hurrying to tell you the good news, when I tripped. Ironic, isn't it?"

Fuji nodded. "How right you are." He directed his gaze at the still-wet Tanisha. "Tashi-chan you should go change out of your wet clothes before you trip as well."

Tanisha sighed. "Sure. Tezuka-kun, I'll leave my best friend in your care then. Let's talk after this Yumi-chan." Tanisha left, followed closely by Fuji.

* * *

Yumiko sighed. "This is SO not my day."

Tezuka nodded. "Obviously." He stood up and placed the kit on the counter behind him. "We'll need to clean that up. Come on." He held out his arms.

"W-What?" Yumiko blushed.

Tezuka wondered what was wrong. Here he was helping her out and she wasn't being cooperative. He wondered for a second why he was even helping her in the first place. Maybe it has something to do with years of seeing tennis injuries and his own arm injury that prompted him to help a wounded person, especially if it's a female.

Tezuka pointed to the humongous sink behind him. "It'll be easier to clean that up if you are near the sink."

"O-Oh." Yumiko nodded. She tried to fight her blushing as Tezuka carried her. The young man then carefully placed her leg in the sink. He pulled out a bottle. "This is going to hurt."

"How much?"

"A lot."

"Gee thanks." Yumiko whimpered. She always hated getting wounded.

Tezuka removed his polo shirt without any trace of embarrassment and handed it to her. "Here. If you need to scream, bury your head in that."

Yumiko looked at him. "I'll be honest with you Tezuka. That's so...well...embarrassing, isn't really the word."

Tezuka nodded a little impatiently. "Unorthodox, I know. Just do it." He readied the bottle. "Ready?" Yumiko took the shirt and nodded.

Everyone outside was shocked to hear a high-pitched scream erupt from the house.

* * *

"Fuji, why are you following me?" Tanisha glared at the person beside her as she ascended the stairs. 

"Why Tashi-chan, are you accusing me of something?" Fuji feigned innocence. "I merely wanted to make sure you don't suffer the same fate as dear Yumi-chan."

Tanisha glared harder. "If you didn't notice, the whole floor is carpeted. If I trip, I won't get wounded. Now go back outside."

Fuji merely smiled. "Not yet, I've come all the way here. It'll be a hassle to walk all the way down on my own."

Tanisha sighed. "It's no use arguing with you." The redhead approached a dark blue door and opened it. "I would tell you to stay out of my room but since when do you ever listen to me anyway. Just make sure you don't touch anything."

Fuji walked inside Tanisha's room. It was large and decorated in a way that expressed the redhead heiress' personality. The walls were white, but you can hardly see them with all the posters and notes and pictures pasted on them. The carpet was a light red and in some way matched the knick-knacks around the room. A queen-sized bed with rose red covers and large pillows was placed in a corner of the room to his right. Fuji smiled fondly. He remembered that Tanisha always had a fear of someone sneaking up on her while she's asleep. The redhead always made sure to sleep with her back to the wall back when they were kids.

The light-haired tensai looked to see a doorway to his right that led to a walk-in closet which led to the bathroom. He looked away quickly when he noticed a discarded wet shirt and a pair of pants on the closet floor. He looked to his right and saw a dresser, a long table with books piled high on it, a computer and a laptop, a small TV and a mini-fridge placed in the corner. The double doors across from him lead out onto the balcony. Fuji was interested to note that there were no security cameras in her room. Tanisha always hated being under protection even if it was for her own good.

Suddenly a high-pitched scream erupted from somewhere in the mansion.

"Darn it. I told Tezuka to take care of her and she ends up screaming." Tanisha walked out of her closet wearing shorts and a red tank top. "Come on." She headed to the door but stopped when Fuji grabbed her arm.

"Wait." Fuji held onto her arm. She noticed that his eyes were open and had a curious look to them.

"What? In case you haven't heard, my best friend is suffering in the hands of your captain."

Fuji pointed to a poster tacked up on the wall. "I remember this. We had a picnic that time."

Tanisha looked at the poster and blushed. It was a poster of her and Fuji at age six. They were sitting side by side under a tree, holding hands and smiling at the camera. It was one of her favorite pictures so she had it blown up to a poster and hung it up in her room.

"It's nothing. Now come on." She struggled to free her arm, but Fuji kept his hold on her. He pulled her to him and smiled with satisfaction as she blushed.

"Well, well, Tashi-chan, you must have missed me a lot to have blown up my picture. I'm flattered."

"I wasn't after your picture, I was after mine." Tanisha fought down her blushing. She mentally cursed herself at her pathetic lie.

Fuji grinned. "You could have removed me from the picture, but you obviously didn't." He didn't bother hiding the delight in his voice.

"Don't go getting any ideas." Tanisha was shocked when she was suddenly pushed against the wall. The memory of the the last time he did that to her came back. "This is the second time Fuji."

Fuji merely smiled. "I know it is, but now I have more reasons that justify why I can do this."

"Don't get cute with me. What justifiable reason can you have for doing this? And don't you dare tell me it's because you think I have feelings for you."

"You just said the reason yourself, and I don't 'think' you have feelings for me. I KNOW you have."

Tanisha gulped. She didn't like that look on Fuji's face. Scratch that. She didn't like ANY look on Fuji's face. Or better yet, she didn't like Fuji. Period.

Fuji's electric blue eyes looked deep into her jade green ones. Tanisha felt his hand tilt her chin up and watched with mixed emotions as his face grew closer... and closer...

She gave in to the temptation of closing her eyes. She shuddered when she felt his breath on her face.

Closer...

Closer...

"I take it this is a bad time to interrupt?"

Ugh.

Both turned to the furiously blushing newcomer. Tanisha grinned despite her own furious blushing.

"Sorry Sho-kun, but not this time. Strike one." At that, Tanisha walked out the room in a hurry. Fuji sighed sadly. He was SO close!!!!

"I'm really sorry aniki." Yuuta looked at his older brother sadly. "I was looking for you both and I...I...I should have just walked away."

Fuji walked towards his brother and closed the door behind him. His usual smiling face was in place but you can still feel the disappointment in it. "I just wish I remembered to close the door." The Fuji brothers walked down the hallway.

"Actually Yuuta-kun, I really do have to thank you."

"Huh? Why?"

"I want to get my dear childhood friend on my own terms, but I want her to be the first to crack. That time in her bedroom, I just couldn't resist. You came just in time."

Yuuta's eyes lit up in realization. It figures that his own aniki wanted his childhood friend to be the FIRST to admit that something is going on between them. He was weird that way. He looked at his aniki seriously. "You like her a lot, don't you aniki?"

Fuji let his smile drop and looked at his brother with honest blue eyes. "Yes I do."

Yuuta grinned. "Well, I'll help you in any way I can aniki."

"Thank you Yuuta-kun. I appreciate it." Fuji's smiling face was back.

The brothers reached the living room just in time to witness a staring match between the redhead heiress and a certain visitor.

"Yuuta!!!" Tanisha shouted angrily without breaking eye contact. "Who the hell invited him into my house?!"

* * *

**A/N:** There!!! Poor Yumiko is in HUGE trouble with her wound and Tezuka will be in even MORE trouble when Tanisha gets her hands on him. Mou, poor Fuji didn't get his first kiss. He cracked that time and almost gave in, but Yuuta-kun interrupted just in time. I don't know how you guys are going to take it, but please don't kill me!!! 

Guess who's the visitor, the one who Tanisha's angry at. A few more visitors will come next time.

Here's a guest list for you all. I updated it to add Yuuta-kun.

**Seigaku**

Hamada Tanisha

Sasaki Yumiko

Fuji Syuusuke

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Echizen Ryoma

Eiji Kikumaru

Oishi Shuichiroh

Inui Sadaharu

Momoshiro Takeshi

Kaidoh Kaoru

Kawamura Takashi

Fujiwara Nami

Fujiwara Izumi

Edagawa Hiro

Watanabe Rin

Ryuuzaki Sakuno

(Five JAM members) Kia, Reiko, Erika and two others

(Six sophomores) Miko and five others

**Hyotei**

Atobe Keigo

Oshitari Yuushi

Mukahi Gakuto

Ohtori Choutarou

Shishido Ryoh

Kabaji Munehiro

Akutagawa Jiroh

Hiyoshi Wakashi

**St. Rudolph**

Fuji Yuuta

**Fudomine**

Tachibana Kippei

Tachibana Ann

Ibu Shinji

Kamio Akira

**Rikkaidai**

Yukimura Seiichi

Sanada Genichirou

Yanagi Renji

Marui Bunta

Kuwahara Jackal

Kirihara Akaya

* * *


	13. The Party of the Century: Interrupted

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! The next chappie's here!!! I know some of you guys really want to know who's the mystery guest. Somebody managed to guess it right. Well, here it is. I just want to take all those who reviewed and read my story. I really appreciate it everybody. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** none for now

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 13: The Party of the Century: Interrupted**

**(Normal POV)**

"What's going on in here?" Sanada walked in the kitchen followed by Tachibana, Yuushi and Nami.

The scene in the kitchen was definitely a sight to see. There was Tezuka leaning with one hand against the counter and with the other hand tugging at his ear. The Seigaku captain looked dazed and was shaking his head. Yumiko on the other hand was still up in the counter with her leg in the sink. The faucet was on and water was flowing down her leg. Her face was buried in a shirt and she was obviously crying.

"Yumiko." Nami rushed to her friend. She patted her on the back. "What happened?" She rounded on Tezuka. "Tezuka, what did you do?"

Tezuka shook his head one last time before answering. "If you're implying that I was the one who made her cry, I didn't. Well, technically I did but-"

"My, how unusual. I didn't expect THE Tezuka Kunimitsu to make a girl cry." Yuushi commented. Sanada shook his head in disbelief.

Tachibana walked over to the still-crying girl. He gave her a little shake. "Are you okay, miss?"

Yumiko removed the shirt and wiped away her tears with one hand. "I-I'm fine and don't blame Tezuka-san. It wasn't his fault."

Nami swept her friend's hair to one side and thumbed away a few tears. "What happened to you anyway?"

The question was answered by Sanada when the Rikkai fukubuchou turned off the faucet. It wasn't long before everyone saw Yumiko's wound.

"That has got to hurt." Yuushi commented.

"This must be the accident Echizen was talking about." Tachibana said and glanced at the wound.

"I take it Tezuka was helping you clean it." Sanada looked at Yumiko. She blushed.

"He was." She nodded. "But when he tried cleaning it, I screamed and pushed him." She turned to the victim. "I'm sorry Tezuka-san."

Tezuka nodded. "It's all right, but we should clean that up before it gets infected. We'll have to put on the medicine again seeing as you washed it off."

Nami frowned. "Don't be mean, Tezuka." She pointed at him. "Now go get the kit." Tezuka frowned but obeyed. Nami grabbed Yumiko's arm. "Tachibana-san if you could kindly hold the other arm."

"W-What are you doing?" Yumiko asked as Kippei held her other arm.

"You'll see. Sanada-san and Oshitari-san, hold her ankles if you may." The two caught on and hesitantly locked both hands on her ankles. "Now Yumiko, let's get this over with."

Yumiko caught on. "NO!!! Nami-chan!!!" Her next words were muffled up when Nami covered her mouth with the shirt. Tezuka needed no more instructions. He pounced.

* * *

"Everyone, come quick!" Eiji called out to the people. The redhead had taken the liberty of snooping around the house when he heard a scream. Now he could hear more screams coming from the house, and they're coming from the living room. "There's a HUGE fight in the living room! Someone's about to get their butt kicked by Aki-chan!" 

"Eiji, leave them alone." Oishi ran to his doubles partner. Eiji took off inside with Oishi on his heels.

"Hey, we want to watch." Marui called out. "Who's the unfortunate victim?" He took Kia's hand and the two ran inside.

Izumi grabbed her towel and Momoshiro. "Come on. I can't miss this." Momo nodded. "Got that right. Come on Hiro-senpai." Momo called him. Hiro followed after them.

Ann frowned as Momoshiro left hand-in-hand with Izumi. She grabbed Kamio and Sakuno. "We're going after them."

"Wait for me." Shinji followed all the while mumbling to himself.

"Sadaharu, we must not let this past us by." Renji stood up from his chair with his notebook in hand.

Inui nodded and followed his friend. "You are correct Renji. This will indeed provide valuable data." The two datamen headed to the door. Inui called out behind him. "Don't lag behind Kaidoh." Kaidoh hissed and followed his senpai.

"Come on Choutarou. I want to see who's on Aki's firing range. That girl is way scary when she's angry." Ryoh tugged on his friend's arm.

Said boy shook his head. "Maybe we should just leave them alone. I mean it's Aki-san's business and-"

"Come on slowpokes." Erika grinned at them. "We'd better go if we don't want to miss it."

Ryoh grinned back. "It's obvious you won't let this episode pass you by." He heaved Choutarou up from his seat. "Shall we go?"

Erika grabbed Choutarou's other arm. "Yes, let's go." Choutarou simply sighed as both his senpais dragged him off.

"Kabaji." Atobe stood up from his lounge chair and tucked his laptop under one arm. "Get Hiyoshi, Jirou and Jiroh's friend. Ore-sama is not going to miss this."

"Usu." Kabaji went off.

Gakuto ran over to his captain. "Atobe, have you seen Yuushi?" Atobe shook his head. "Well, it's his lost." Gakuto ran inside.

Atobe followed after the redhead. Kabaji kept pace behind him with Jiroh and Reiko slung over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Jiroh was busy reassuring the panicking maiden that this was somewhat normal. Hiyoshi brought up the rear.

"Jackal, get Kirihara." Seiichi instructed. "I'd better make sure Aki-chan doesn't get out of hand." He left in a hurry.

Jackal nodded and was about to call Kirihara when the sophomore himself passed by with Miko riding him piggy-back style. "See ya." Kirihara waved as Miko held on for dear life. Jackal sighed and followed after.

Rin sipped her drink and stood up calmly. "Takashi-senpai, Ryoma-kun, we'd better follow after everybody else."

Takashi nodded. "Ok sure."

Ryoma shrugged. "Fine, Rin-senpai."

The three left calmly, leaving the pool empty of any people.

* * *

Everyone basically arrived at the living room at almost the same time. This was what they saw: 

Tezuka, Yumiko, Nami and Tachibana were sitting on the couch. Tezuka looked haggard and wasn't wearing any shirt. Yumiko looked worse than he did. Her eyes were puffy and her leg was bandaged firmly. Nami and Tachibana looked worse then the first two. Nami's hair was disheveled and her arm was bandaged. She was muttering something about bites and rabies. Tachibana was rubbing his jaw and a red mark was evident on the Fudomine buchou's face.

Yuushi and Sanada didn't look any better. The two were sitting on separate armchairs and nursing injuries. Yuushi had a similar red mark on his face and a bruise adorned his shoulder. Sanada was having difficulty sitting. He kept rubbing his stomach and wincing in pain. A bruise was evident on his arm.

"Tezuka," Oishi called to his captain. "What ha-"

"Yuushi," Gakuto butted in. "Who did that to you?"

Yuushi appeared. "Sanada, you look terrible."

Ann, Kamio and Shinji stood there shocked.

Izumi passed them all and looked at her cousin. "Cous, you look like hell."

Nami grumbled. "I appreciate the concern cousin."

"Nya, what ha-" Eiji asked.

All six glared at him. "Don't ask."

Before anybody could speak any further, the redhead heiress shouted. "Yuuta!!! Who let him in?!" Tanisha pointed at the newcomer. Everyone looked at the visitor and then at Yuuta.

Yuuta tried to explain. "Well...um...you see...I...that is..."

"Now now Yuuta-kun, let me be the one to explain." Everyone turned to the speaker, Mizuki Hajime of St. Rudolph.

"Explain what?" Tanisha crossed her arms. "That you entered my house without permission after I seriously made it clear that you are not allowed inside or even outside my house?"

Mizuki smirked. "Why, I was only accompanying Yuuta here."

"Yuuta is welcome here, you know that. You, on the other hand, are banned from here."

"So?"

Tanisha glared at him. "Why you insufferable little..." She paused and glanced at the crowd of people. "Let's have this conversation outside, shall we?" She opened the door and pushed Mizuki out. Eiji groaned, but quieted down at the cold stare Tanisha gave him.

The door closed with a loud bang. Sounds were heard but the door was thick enough to turn the chatter into muffled words. Eiji bounced to the door in an attempt to eavesdrop.

"Eiji, press your ear to that door and I'll make you run a thousand laps." Eiji turned 180 degrees and run to the crowd after hearing Tezuka's threat.

"Why does she hate Mizuki so much?" Kamio asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"Older sister complex." Yuuta mumbled.

"Plus, she holds a grudge against him." Fuji added.

"What's that mean?" Ann asked the brothers.

"Never mind." Yuuta sighed. "She-" Yuuta was interrupted by a sudden crash.

"Was that..." Nami paused as they heard another crash. "...thunder?"

"Children." Everybody turned to see Hamada Akio. "Might I suggest you get your things from the pool and from the house and transfer them inside. A storm's coming." Everybody was shocked.

Akio sighed. "Quick. Get a move on. You can all move your things up to the rooms on the third floor before-"

_CRASH..._

"-before the rain comes in."

Everybody needed no more instructions. They all ran out back to get their things.

Yumiko sighed. "First I trip and wound myself and now I can't even stand up to help."

Tezuka, who was about to follow after and get his things, paused. He looked back at the depressed girl. He thought about saying something, but opted to simply leave.

* * *

Tanisha walked in and slammed the door behind her. She was broken slightly out of her angry mood when she was that there was nobody in the living room. 

"So, you okay now?" Yumiko spoke, startling her.

Tanisha huffed and sat beside her friend. "Where is everyone?"

"Your Dad told them to get their stuff up to the third floor." Yumiko explained. "Apparently there's a storm coming in."

"Oh that's SO great!" Tanisha shouted with sarcasm. "First that Mizuki brat comes in here and now a storm interrupts the party."

Yumiko patted her friend on the shoulder. "There there, now what is that about Mizuki?"

Tanisha glared at her but in the end sighed. "Mizuki and I go way back, unfortunately. His family does business with my Dad. When I was five, he was invited over for the weekend to be my playmate. Long story short, we were both sent to the hospital, me with a broken leg and him for a broken arm. Plus, I know all about him manipulating Yuuta and almost costing him an arm."

Yumiko gasped. "Man, is he that awful?"

"All that and more, unfortunately. Sometimes he's not a bad guy, but he has that evil streak." Tanisha paused. "Scratch that. Mizuki's a bad guy through and through."

_BUZZ...BUZZ...BUZZ..._

"Don't bother, I'll get it." Tanisha stood up. She remembered Yumiko's wound. "Sorry."

Tanisha opened the door and was greeted by somebody carrying boxes. The boxes were high enough to cover the person's face. "Delivery."

Tanisha looked at him. "How did you get in?"

"The guards let me in, ma'am." He answered.

"Well, I didn't order anything. Take them back."

"You didn't, I did." He put down the boxes and grinned. "Hey there."

Tanisha gaped at him. "Takahisa? Kajimoto Takahisa?" She hugged him. "Oh my God!!! I didn't know you're here. I tried contacting you but no one answered. How are Youhei and Kouhei? What's with the boxes?"

"Calm down, Tanisha." Kajimoto laughed. "First of all, my phone's out of order and I can't contact you as well, so sorry about that. Second, the twins are fine. They miss you and want to see you soon. Third, those are pizza. I figured you could use some, since you have a party and all."

Tanisha blushed. "I'm so sorry. If I had known you were here, I would've invited you and the twins. And you didn't have to buy pizza."

Kajimoto laughed. "It's okay, it was partly my fault for not contacting you. Think of the pizza as a gift for you and your guests."

"Wait, your not staying?" Tanisha asked.

"No." He shook his head. "I need to go see the twins. They've been sick for the past few days."

"Oh my. Tell them to rest up and I'll visit them soon." Tanisha said. She grabbed the boxes. "Thanks, Takahisa-kun."

"Oh, and you owe me a date for my troubles." Kajimoto grinned. "How about Tuesday after school?"

Tanisha smiled. "Sure."

Kajimoto smiled. "Thanks. You're great, you know that? Ja." He left with a wave. Tanisha watched as he retreated inside a car.

_CRASH..._

Suddenly, strong rain started to pour but Tanisha barely noticed as she carried the boxes in, a smile playing on her lips. She was surprised when she bumped into Fuji just inside the door.

"Was that Kajimoto Takahisa?" Fuji asked.

Tanisha smirked. "Yes, and he was kind enough to treat us to pizza. He's such a nice guy." She swept past him and headed over to the dining room. The only thought on her mind was her date on Tesday.

* * *

"Oooh, seems as if Kajimoto got to her first." Yumiko commented from her spot on the couch, just as Fuji left with a frown. She was able to watch and hear the whole scene perfectly. 

"Who got to who first?" Nami walked over with Tezuka behind her.

"Oh nothing." Yumiko smiled. Her smile dropped just as Tezuka scooped her up. "W-What?"

"Come on. Aki-san's calling us to the dining room." Tezuka carried her to the dining room.

When the trio arrived, they saw everybody already fighting over the pizza. There were about 13 boxes of extra large pizza all with different toppings. Yumiko noticed that all the bags were temporarily thrown over to one side of the room.

"Ne, um...Tezuka-san?" Yumiko asked, just as Tezuka placed her down on a chair. "Do you know where my bag is?" The stoic buchou pointed over to a corner. Yumiko saw her bag away from everybody else's. Her bag was just beside somebody's bag, presumably Tezuka's. "Thanks."

"What do you like?" Tezuka asked her.

It took a while to register that he was asking about the pizza. "Um...anything, please." Tezuka walked over to the mass of people who were fighting over the food as if they haven't eaten for months. As soon as he got near them, they all paused in the fighting and acted civilized. Tezuka grabbed a few slices and placed them on a plate. When he left, the fighting started again.

He handed the plate over to Yumiko, who blushed. "Thanks. Here." She offered him some, which he took with a murmured thank you. The two settled to eat in silenced side-by-side.

* * *

After everybody has eaten their fill, they all settled about around the dining room, bored. 

"What now?" Gakuto asked from his spot on the floor beside Yuushi. "I'm bored."

"Well," Tanisha came back from disposing of the boxes. "There's the game room and the family room upstairs. You can go on up. Just as long as you guys don't make a mess."

Gakuto jumped up. "Yeah, let's go on up." He grabbed his bag and doubles partner and dragged him out.

"Hey, me too." Eiji grabbed his bag and his doubles partner and followed after.

Tanisha simply sighed and nodded at the other people to go on up. She left in a hurry to alert her father. The rest of the people followed after at a more leisurely place.

* * *

"WOW!!! This room is huge!!!" Eiji looked around the game room. There were three TVs with different game consoles and CDs, video games, a pool table at the corner, as well as other articles. 

"Wow, she must have all the game consoles ever built." Gakuto examined the Playstations and X-Box.

Other people walked in and it wasn't long before the game consoles were fired up and a game of pool was underway. Oishi looked at all the people in the room. Eiji, Momoshiro, Izumi and Kamio were hogging up one TV. Ann was cheering them on. Using the other TV were Gakuto and Kirihara with Miko cheering them on and bothering Gakuto so that Kirihara would win. Kia and Marui were hogging up the third TV and were laughing. Yuushi, Hiyoshi, Kabaji and Jackal were setting up to play pool. Oishi noticed Renji and Inui peeking into the room before disappearing.

Oishi sighed and walked over to the pool table. He might as well play.

* * *

Several others have settled in the family room, amazed at the plasma TV and the numerous sofas, speakers and CDs. 

"Let's watch something." Erika walked over to the CDs stacked on shelves. "What do you guys want? Comedy, Drama, Action, Fantasy, Horror-"

"Horror." The people chorused.

"Ok." Erika walked over to the Horror section and read out some titles. It took a little while but everybody finally settled with a movie. She put it in the player and everybody sat down.

Erika and Ryoh, Jiroh and Reiko sat down on separate loveseats. Ryoma took the last loveseat and grabbed Sakuno, who looked lost on where to seat until Ryoma grabbed her. Shinji, Takashi and Hiro shared the sofa with a female Seigaku senior. Kaidoh, Chotarou, Yuuta and a Seigaku sophomore sat down on the floor.

"Excuse me, can I sit there?" The female sophomore pointed at the spot beside Yuuta. Yuuta patted the space behind him and smiled. "Sure."

She sat down. "The name's June. You're Fuji Yuuta from St. Rudolph, right?"

Yuuta nodded. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you June."

June smiled. "I've watched one of your games. You're pretty good."

Yuuta blushed. "Thanks. Do you play tennis?"

June made a face. "I try, but I'm no good."

Yuuta shook his head. "You just need the proper training and a good coach."

"I don't exactly play tennis like you. I do it for fun, or I would if I could play. Plus, I don't have a coach. All the girls in school play tennis just to get the regulars to notice them. A waste of time if you ask me."

Yuuta smiled. This was the first time he met a girl who hates fangirls. True, he knew Tanisha hated fangirls, but Tanisha was like his older sister, June is...different. "Hmm...if you have somebody to teach you, would you play tennis?"

June nodded. "Sure."

"Would you like me to teach you?" Yuuta suddenly blurted out. June looked surprised, but she gave him a warm smile. "I'd like that." Yuuta smiled back. The two quieted down as Erika turned down the lights and played the movie. Inui and Renji sneaked in and attempted to get data, but the two were engrossed in the movie before they could notice.

* * *

The rest of the teens settled down in the library, preferring the peace and quiet rather than the loud shouts of their companions. Good thing the library was located a little away from the other rooms. 

Tezuka had carried Yumiko straight to the library and placed the young maiden on a loveseat. After providing her some reading material, the two were sitting side by side on the couch and were engrossed in their reading. They probably don't even notice how closely they were seated. Atobe had settled down on an armchair and was busy typing away on his laptop. Fuji had taken a laptop from the computer lab with Tanisha's reluctant approval and hogged an armchair to himself. Tachibana, Seiichi and Sanada were seated in the couch, all were reading. Tanisha, Nami and Rin locked themselves up in the computer lab, seeing as they can't go to the balcony due to rain. The glass doors were closed giving them privacy to talk.

This has got to be the most boring room.

* * *

All the teens were more or less busy in their respective rooms. They were enjoying themselves despite the interruption of their pool party. They were having fun, that is until... 

_CRASH..._

The power went out.

* * *

A/N: I am having so much fun with this () 

What do you guys think? Don't you think this is a lot more fun? Bwahahahaha... Expect a lot of mischief in the next chapter, ideas are welcome.

Here's the guest list again. I put in Mizuki just for the heck of it. Oh, and sorry for making Mizuki appear like the bad guy. I hate him, but I love him as well. Stay tuned for more appearances by the St. Rudolph manager in the future chapters.

**Seigaku**

Hamada Tanisha

Sasaki Yumiko

Fuji Syuusuke

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Echizen Ryoma

Eiji Kikumaru

Oishi Shuichiroh

Inui Sadaharu

Momoshiro Takeshi

Kaidoh Kaoru

Kawamura Takashi

Fujiwara Nami

Fujiwara Izumi

Edagawa Hiro

Watanabe Rin

Ryuuzaki Sakuno

(Five JAM members) Kia, Reiko, Erika and two others

(Six sophomores) Miko, June and four others

**Hyotei**

Atobe Keigo

Oshitari Yuushi

Mukahi Gakuto

Ohtori Choutarou

Shishido Ryoh

Kabaji Munehiro

Akutagawa Jiroh

Hiyoshi Wakashi

**St. Rudolph**

Fuji Yuuta

Mizuki Hajime-for a short while anyway

**Fudomine**

Tachibana Kippei

Tachibana Ann

Ibu Shinji

Kamio Akira

**Rikkaidai**

Yukimura Seiichi

Sanada Genichirou

Yanagi Renji

Marui Bunta

Kuwahara Jackal

Kirihara Akaya

* * *


	14. The Party of the Century: Lockdown

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! The next chappie's here. I just want to take all those who reviewed and read my story. Thank you so much.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (Guys, I know I haven't been putting music in for a while, but come on. Torturing them is a lot of fun.)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 14: The Party of the Century: Lockdown**

**(Normal POV)**

Momoshiro was ecstatic. He only had one lap left and he was about to win the game...and more importantly, beat Eiji and Kamio. He pressed the controller and stared with happiness as his car neared the finish line...closer...closer...

_CRASH...ZAP..._

The TV turned off.

Momoshiro stared with disbelief. "What the-"

Then the lights went off as well. In fact, the power turned off so abruptly that several things happened all at once.

Momoshiro, who was leaning at the edge of his seat, fell off and knocked his head on something. Eiji gave out a loud shout, making Kamio drop his controller. Miko was busy watching Gakuto and Kirihara, but when the lights went off the sophomore accidentally elbowed someone when she fell down her seat. Ann, Izumi and Gakuto added to the whole confusion when they started shouting. Plus, the sound of cloth ripping was heard.

"Izu-chan, Ann-chan, stop shouting!!!" Momo shouted above the din. He was rewarded with a hearty slap on the head by someone. "Hey, who hit me?!"

"Was that you?" Kamio asked from somewhere beside Momo. "It was an accident, but if it was you I hit, then no problem."

"Why you- OW!!!" Momo rubbed his head. "Stop hitting me!!!"

"I was the one who hit you baka!!!" Izumi shouted from somewhere behind Momoshiro. "You hit my knee when you fell."

"Really?" Momo rubbed his head. "Then that explains why my head hurts."

"OW!!!" Kamio shouted. "Ann-chan, were you the one who hit me?"

"Yes, it was me." Ann groaned. "You dropped your stupid controller on my foot."

"Sorry."

"OW!!! Izu-chan, stop hitting me!!!" Momo shouted.

"That wasn't me!!!"

Momoshiro heard snickering somewhere to his left. "Who hit me?! Eiji-senpai!!!"

Eiji cracked up laughing. "This is fun, nya. You can't see any-OW!!! Who hit me? You're all younger than I am, and it's disrespectful to hit your senpai."

All four remained quiet.

In the other side of the room, a verbal fight erupted, seeing as they all can't see each other. Gakuto was shouting and cursing a mile a minute at Miko, who was lost on what made him so angry. Kirihara was mouthing off at Gakuto and trying to control himself to not lunge blindly at the redhead for cursing at Miko.

"!#$(&()" Gakuto kept on ranting.

"Can you just shut up?" Kirihara growled at him. "Miko-chan doesn't even know what she did, and it was probably an accident." He then reached out a hand in the darkness, making sure not to hit anybody. "Miko-chan, where are you? Give me your hand."

Kirihara felt a small hand touch his before grasping it tightly. "Akaya-kun?"

He pulled her towards him and placed Miko securely on his lap. "There, now we won't get separated."

"!$(&" Gakuto kept on shouting.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kirihara shouted at his general direction.

Gakuto paused his mindless cursing and panted. "That...that girl...elbowed me-"

"Sorry." Miko mumbled.

"Sorry?! For goodness sake, you hit my...thing."

Kirihara laughed. "Man, Miko-chan. Nice hit. Hit him right where it hurts."

Miko blushed and was thankful that it was dark. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Gakuto groaned. "Damn, it hurts."

Miko huffed angrily. "I already said I was sorry. What do you want me to do it? Put ice on it and massage it or something?" She paused. "Ew...bad mental image."

Kirihara wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't even think of doing that. That guy deserves it."

Gakuto growled. "What did you say?" Then without warning, he lunged blindly at the two.

"Mabu-kun," Kia sighed. "What are we going to do know?"

Marui reached out a hand and intertwined his fingers with Kia's. He smiled at hearing her cute pet name for him. "Well Kia-chan, I'm sure we can find something else to do." Note that the stress was on the word 'something'.

Kia blushed and the next thing she knew, Marui was on top of her.

Yuushi, Hiyoshi, Kabaji, Jackal and Oishi kept silent, until Oishi asked. "Did any of you hear that ripping sound?"

Yuushi cleared his throat. "Let's just say Aki-chan is going to have to fix the hole in the pool table."

* * *

The others who settled in the family room were all frustrated. The movie was just getting good wherein the hero and the heroine were about to open the door and see who was on the other side. The teens all presumed it to be the mask-wearing murderer with the huge ax and hauling a chainsaw. They all waited excitedly as the door opened, but just when they were about to see who was at the door, the power went off.

Ryoh and Erika cursed the TV. Sakuno squeaked in surprise and grabbed the nearest thing to her who was Ryoma. Shinji started mumbling about storms, power blackouts and fate not allowing a people to enjoy their measly pathetic lives. Takashi and Chotarou were trying to calm down everybody. Hiro was mentally agreeing to whatever Shinji was saying. Kaidoh was hissing in annoyance at the lack of light and the annoying voices. Inui and Renji were trying to locate their notebooks, pens and bags where their flashlights were located.

"Man, this sucks." June said from beside Yuuta.

Yuuta sighed. "Tell me about it."

"Jiroh what are we going to do?" Reiko asked as she held his arm.

Jiroh yawned. "I don't know. Let's wait for someone to get some light."

Reiko sighed. "You're sleepy again, aren't you?" She didn't wait for him to answer and simply pulled on his arm. "Here. Lie down." Jiroh smiled to himself and lied down on the girl's lap.

"Rei-chan. Thank you."

"R-Ryoma-kun, is this you?" Sakuno fidgeted and held Ryoma's arm tightly.

The prince sighed. "Yes." He remained silent as everybody else started talking. "This is going to take a while."

* * *

In the library, the teens were all quiet and busy doing things that maintained complete silence. When the lights turned off, it was not surprising that they were all silent. In short, they're boring.

Tanisha's voice rang out from the computer lab. "Is everybody okay?"

"Yes." Everybody chorused.

Tanisha, Rin and Nami walked out of the computer lab carefully, using the light from Fuji and Atobe's laptops to move around. Yumiko plucked her bag from the floor and pulled out two pocket flashlights. She then continued reading with Tezuka. Tanisha pulled out some flashlights from a drawer and handed them to Seiichi, Sanada and Tachibana. Atobe continued fiddling with his laptop. Nami started checking her cellphone for a signal and Rin simply sat down on a chair looking through her bag for her phone.

Tanisha saw that everyone was busy doing something. She simply sighed and walked out the door with a flashlight in hand. She might as well check on the others.

* * *

Tanisha walked towards the game room. She pointed her flashlight around the hallway and shivered at the darkness.

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

Tanisha heart stopped. She pointed the flashlight behind her, right at Fuji's face. She took a deep breath.

"Fuji, you scared me." She placed a hand over her heart. "Don't do that!!!"

Fuji smiled. "Why not? It's fun."

Tanisha glared at him. "As much as I don't want to be with you, I could use the company." Fuji smiled and eagerly followed her down the hall. "Man, our house looks spooky."

"It's a mansion, Tashi-chan." Fuji examined the hallway. "When it's dark, people expect it to be creepy, just like the haunted mansions on TV."

She glared at him. "You aren't helping."

Fuji ignored her. "Saa, one half expects something to jump out at the next corner."

Tanisha shook her head and tried to block out Fuji's words. It was already dark and spooky enough, she didn't need Fuji's words to be more creeped out.

They approached the door of the game room. Sounds were coming on the inside.

"Saa, they seem to be putting the darkness to good use." Fuji commented with an amused grin.

Tanisha sighed. "They better not be doing what I think they are doing." She was about to open the door, but Fuji stopped her. "What?"

"Wouldn't it be best if you alerted Akio-san first?" Fuji asked.

Tanisha pulled her hand away. "You're just saying that because you want them to continue whatever it is they're doing."

Fuji smiled. "Of course."

Tanisha sighed but walked off. "If anything inappropriate happens in there Fuji, I'll blame you."

* * *

Yumiko sighed and put down her book. She glanced at her bandaged leg.

"Are you all right?"

She looked beside her and nodded at Tezuka. "I'm fine. I just feel a little cramped."

"You should go stretch your legs, Yumiko-chan." Nami spoke. "See if you can walk it."

Yumiko waved her suggestion away. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She then leaned back on her chair and whispered to herself. "Besides, it's embarrassing anyhow."

Tezuka looked at her. "Come on."

"What?"

"Let's go down to the kitchen. I left the first-aid kit there and let's check your wound." Tezuka said. In other words, come on and let's hide in the kitchen so you won't be embarrassed in case you can't walk.

Yumiko got the message and nodded as Tezuka gave her a piggy-back ride all the way to the kitchen.

* * *

Everybody in the game room sighed as light erupted in the room. They all looked to see Oishi holding a small flashlight. The Seigaku fukubuchou managed to find his bag and the handy flashlight he packed in there for emergencies.

"Is everyone ok?" He asked. He stood up and pointed the flashlight around the room.

There was Yuushi, Kabaji, Jackal and Hiyoshi. They were all sitting down on the floor. Oishi saw the huge rip on the pool table and wondered who ripped it. He pointed the light over at Eiji's group. Izumi was about to hit Momo on the head. Eiji was rubbing his aching head and Kamio and Ann were laughing. He pointed the light over at Kirihara's group. He was shocked when he saw Gakuto and Kirihara rolling around on the floor beating the hell out of each other. Miko was sighing and was sitting to the side. Oishi looked around the room, but he couldn't locate two people.

"Where are Kia-san and Marui-san?" He asked.

Somebody raised a hand from behind a couch. Marui's head popped up. He was looking smug. "Um...here we are." He stood up and pulled up Kia who was furiously blushing.

"Man, get a room." Momoshiro commented. Marui shrugged at that.

"Get off me!!!" Gakuto shouted.

"Apologize to Miko-chan first!!!" Kirihara shouted back.

"Akaya-kun, it's ok." Miko spoke up.

Yuushi and Jackal hurried over and pulled the two apart.

"Gakuto calm down." Yuushi said.

"Yukimura-buchou won't be happy once he hears this Akaya." Jackal said.

The two turned silent, but continued to glare at each other.

Oishi sighed and pointed the flashlight around. He saw a table at the corner and opened the drawers. Luckily, there were a few candles inside. Oishi placed them around the room and lighted them. It didn't take long for the whole room to be filled with light.

"There." Oishi said. "That should do it."

"What are we going to do now?" Eiji asked. "It's boring."

"Eiji-senpai, the lights turned off about five minutes ago. You can't be bored that quickly?" Izumi asked and lied down on the couch.

"He can." Momoshiro nodded. "Trust me. When he's bored, he's bored."

"I wonder what the others are doing?" Kamio asked. The others shrugged.

* * *

Inui and Renji managed to grab some flashlights from their bags, but instead of lending the others, the two datamen proceeded to write their data.

"Um, Inui can you give us some light?" Takashi asked.

Inui continued writing but pointed his flashlight at a drawer. "There are some candles in there."

Hiro took them out and lighted a few. "How did you know that?"

"You don't want to know." Inui replied. He then continued his writing. Hiro placed the candles around the room.

"Ryuuzaki, you can let go now." Ryoma said to the girl. Her grip in his arm was tight. He mentally sighed as she released him.

"Ano...um... sorry, Ryoma-kun." Sakuno blushed.

Ryoma simply nodded.

"Ryoh-san, Erika-san, please stop." Choutarou told the two seniors who were still busy cursing.

Ryoh sighed and pouted. "This is so annoying. Now we won't know who was at the door when they opened it."

"Is that all?" Inui asked. "It's very logical really. It's-"

Erika threw a pillow at him. "Don't tell us. It's much better if we watch, so don't spoil it."

"June, are you ok?" Yuuta asked the girl beside him.

"Man, it's hot." June said and fanned herself with one hand. She stood up. "I'm going to take a walk. It's too hot. I can't stand it."

Yuuta stood up and grabbed a candle. "I'll come with you."

The two walked out the door.

* * *

Yumiko put down the candle on the table, making sure it was steady before letting go. She sighed from her spot on top of the counter and watched as Tezuka sat down on a chair and started unwrapping her wound. She remembered how he was the one who helped her and how he was the one who patiently carried her around and paid attention to her.

"Ne, Tezuka-san." Yumiko spoke. "Thanks for everything and I'm sorry I've been a bother to you."

Tezuka shrugged. "It's nothing, Sasaki-san."

"Can you stop calling me that?"

"What?"

"You know, Sasaki-san." Yumiko looked at him. "It makes me feel old."

Tezuka examined her leg. "Then why do you call me Tezuka-san?"

Yumiko thought about that. "It's different. You're..." Tezuka looked up at her. "You're THE Tezuka Kunimitsu. You're popular, smart and you're the captain of the tennis team, not to mention a national level player."

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Yumiko looked at him. "You're clueless, you know that?"

He shrugged and started wrapping up Yumiko's wound again. "Just because I am all the things you mentioned doesn't mean I deserve to be respected more than others."

"Tezuka-san, it's because you are ALL those things that people look up to you. You're like... how do I say it?" Yumiko thought about it. "You're better than everybody else. Everybody treats you like a god and-"

"You don't." Yumiko turned silent and Tezuka continued. "You act normal and you don't treat me like a god."

Yumiko smirked. "Oh please. If I treat you like your fangirls do, I'd be degrading myself. I'll admit that I respect you a lot, but I sure won't treat you like a god. It'd be ridiculous."

Tezuka smiled. It was a small smile, but Yumiko saw it. They both lapsed into silence as Tezuka finished wrapping her leg. That's when Yumiko noticed just how...how...how...handsome he was. She blushed.

"Sasaki-san, are you ok?" Tezuka asked.

Yumiko snapped out of it and mentally cursed herself. "Um...yeah. I was just...never mind. By the way, it's Yumiko."

Tezuka looked puzzled but nodded. "Well, Yumiko-san-"

"Just Yumiko."

"Yumiko," Tezuka tried again. He wasn't really used to talking to girls in a familiar, friendly kind of way. "Why don't you try walking?"

* * *

Tanisha and Fuji walked out of Hamada Akio's office. Akio-san was busy trying to work and had opened dozens of candles to help him. He was also trying to find out how long the rain and black-out will last, but it was difficult seeing as he couldn't contact anybody due to loss of cell phone signal and the telephone lines being cut off due to strong winds.

"I'm tired." Tanisha sighed. "I want a nice cold Ponta. Come on." She grabbed Fuji's hand and dragged him along.

Fuji chuckled and kept pace with the maiden. Fuji opened his eyes and made a mental picture of Tanisha. That look on her face that showed her desire for something. That look of adorable wanting that made Fuji just fall for her deeper.

Tanisha held his hand and led him as they turned the corner. She narrowly avoided bumping into Yuuta and June.

"Yuuta-kun, June." Tanisha looked at them. "What are you doing here?"

Yuuta looked at Tanisha and Fuji. His brother had his eyes open and they were both holding hands.

"Um... we were walking around."

"It was hot inside the game room." June said and fanned her face with a hand. "Where are you two going?"

"I was dragging Fuji along to get a cold drink in the kitchen. Want to come?"

June nodded and the next thing the Fuji brothers knew, they were both being dragged down the hall.

* * *

Eiji, Momoshiro and Izumi walked out of the game room. The redhead managed to convince the two sophomores about how fun it would be to snoop around and see what everyone else was doing.

"Come on." Eiji held the candle in one hand and walked slowly and quietly along the hallway.

Momo yawned and placed his hands behind his head. "Eiji-senpai, why are we doing this again?"

Eiji pouted. "Because it'll be fun."

Izumi nodded. "We know, but Aki-senpai is going to throw us out if we do anything troublesome."

Eiji pulled them along. "Come on. Let's just be careful."

The three of them walked silently along the corridor.

"Man, this is way creepy." Izumi said.

"Hey, this is sorta familiar." Momo thought about it. "Yeah, I remember. This is sorta like that horror movie where the hero and his friends are running from that murderer who locked them inside a house."

Eiji nodded. "Oh, I know that one nya. We watched that movie." He then started narrating what happened. "Then they were sneaking around looking for a way out and then suddenly-"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

The three froze. Izumi was shaking. "Did you just-"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"

"I'm not sticking around here to find out what that was." Momo ran off.

"Wait for us!!!" Izumi and Eiji ran after him.

* * *

"Inui, shut up!!!" Erika screamed and flung her third pillow at the dataman, who casually evaded it.

Inui raised a hand to fix his glasses. "Then when they saw him, he started chasing and throwing rocks at them. Until the hero-"

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Erika threw her fourth pillow.

"Inui-senpai can you please stop saying how the movie ended?" Ryoma said. He tugged on his ear. "Erika-senpai's getting too loud."

"What use is data if it can't be shared? Right Sadaharu?" Renji butted in.

Inui nodded. "Correct Renji."

"I hate you both, you know that?" Erika glared at them. She frowned and leaned back on her chair. "One of the things I hate are people who tell you things you don't want to know. Is it too much to ask to not tell me how the stinking movie ended?"

Ryoh patted her shoulder. He was clearly amused at how frantic Erika was when Inui started narrating the whole movie. "Come on. Let's take a walk." Erika nodded and followed him.

"Oh," Inui called after them. "Did I forget to mention that the murderer happened to be the heroine's adopted older brother?"

An infuriated scream was heard before a vase was thrown at Inui. Inui caught it and sighed in relief. Tanisha would kill him if he breaks anything and no doubt Erika would find a way to blame him.

"Hey Inui-senpai, where did the vase come from?" Ryoma asked.

* * *

"I can't take it anymore!!! Come on Yuushi, let's get out of here!!!" Gakuto shouted. He grabbed a candle and dragged his doubles partner out of the game room.

"Gakuto where are we going?"

"Anywhere." Gakuto huffed. "I'm sick of the silence and that boring room. Plus, that Rikkai dude and Seigaku girl have been acting all cozy in the dark."

"You don't happen to be jealous?" Yuushi smirked at him which earned him a glare.

"I'm just sick of hearing the same thing over and- OOF!!!" Gakuto took a step back as he bumped into somebody. "Hey, who the heck do you think you are?!"

He looked to see the Rikkai buchou and fukubuchou standing there. Gakuto gulped. "Um...hehe...sorry."

Seiichi shook his head and smiled. The candle in his hand made him seem sinister. "It's ok. It was an accident. Ne Genichirou?" Sanada simply nodded.

"Excuse me."

Everyone looked to see Ryoma and a freshman girl walk past them. Gakuto remembered her as the one who pushed him in the pool. He looked at her. Sakuno squeaked and hid behind Ryoma. Ryoma stopped and saw Gakuto.

"He's that guy you pushed into the pool for 50 dollars, ne Ryuuzaki?" He asked.

"It was an accident." Sakuno said softly.

"But you still pushed him." Ryoma said. Gakuto glared at him and Ryoma gave him a mocking grin.

"Gakuto." Yuushi said softly. "Don't."

"Yeah, don't. You aren't going to start hitting someone younger than you and mouthing at a girl would you?" Nami appeared with Rin. Gakuto glared.

"Now now, Nami-chan no teasing." Rin said and tugged on her friend's arm. "Come on, let's go find Izumi."

"If you're talking about Momoshiro's companion, they're not in the game room." Yuushi said.

Nami sighed. "Now where could she be?"

"Probably in a room making out with that porcupine head." Gakuto whispered but still loud enough for everyone to hear.

Instead of being offended though, Nami grinned and turned to Rin. "If that's so, Hiro owes me money. I told him Izumi and Momo would hook up."

"I thought Momoshiro-san was with Tachibana-san's imoutou." Seiichi said. "That's what everyone's saying."

"Tachibana-san's imoutou is with that rhythm guy." Ryoma said. "Momo-senpai told me."

"You mean Kamio?" Nami asked.

"A love square, how interesting." Seiichi commented. "Ne Genichirou?"

Sanada shook his head. "How can you be interested in gossip?"

"Duh, because it's gossip." Gakuto said.

Yuushi agreed. "Gossip is always interesting, especially if you're not the one being talked about."

"Is that Inui-senpai?" Sakuno asked.

The crowd turned to the direction Sakuno was pointing at. They saw Inui and Renji peeking inside a room. They were writing in their notebooks.

"What's going on?" Nami approached them followed by the others.

"Go inside." Renji said. "It's fascinating."

The two of them bounded inside the dark room. The rest followed, but once they were inside a gust of wind came in and blew out their candles.

"What's going on?"

Mad laughing was heard before they heard a sound 'click'.

Once everyone was able to light up their candles again. They saw that the door was closed and obviously locked.

* * *

Atobe and Tachibana walked out of the library, seeing as everyone else left them. Without another word, they separated and went off. Tachibana went to the game room to see Ann, while Atobe wandered around wondering where everyone was.

* * *

"Do you see what I see?" Tanisha whispered to her companions.

"I see it. I see it." Fuji whispered back. He had a very amused grin on his face.

"Come on, Aki-senpai." June groaned. "Let's just get that drink."

"Don't bother." Yuuta said. "When they're like this, nothing can stop them."

Tanisha and Fuji ignored them and continued spying on the two people in the kitchen. The four of them were just outside the kitchen and were watching the two people inside.

"What's he doing?" Tanisha asked, as she saw Tezuka holding Yumiko's hands.

"I can't see it clearly." Fuji said. "I can't believe Tezuka's making a move."

The two watched with giddiness as Yumiko slowly slid off the counter and walked a few steps. She slipped and Tezuka caught her. The two started giggling like mad.

"Yuuta, no offense but your brother is weird." June watched as both her senpais started whispering to each other.

Yuuta shook his head. "I know. Plus, when he and Aki-neechan are in one of their moods, they act weirder than ever."

June sighed and sank down on the floor. "I'm going to die of thirst here, before they even notice us."

Yuuta sat beside her. "You ok?"

June nodded. "Don't worry. I'm ok."

"AKI-CHAN!!!"

All four jumped up in surprise as Eiji, Momo and Izumi appeared running. The three were running so fast that they didn't manage to stop in time and accidentally collided with Tanisha and Fuji. Tezuka and Yumiko were surprised when all five of them came crashing in the kitchen.

Yumiko looked at all five of them lying down at the floor. "What are you all-" Her knees gave way and Yumiko suddenly found herself in Tezuka's arms for the second time.

"I have had it. I'm dying of thirst here." June said. She grabbed Yuuta's hand and the two of them walked over the mass of arms and legs. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a slightly cold Ponta. She handed Yuuta one and opened her drink. She then sat down on top of the counter, sipping her drink and watching everyone.

Tanisha stood up from the fallen crowd and glared at the three newcomers. "What is your problem? What happened?"

Eiji and Momo remained lying, panting and trying to catch their breath. Izumi spoke. "It was Momo's fault. We heard a scream and he ran."

Momo retaliated. "It wasn't me!!! Eiji-senpai wanted us to snoop around and-" Eiji flung a hand over Momo's mouth.

"We heard a scream and we ran, nya." Eiji simplified.

"Oh, that was me." Erika walked in with Ryoh. "I was shouting at Inui and throwing pillows and vases at him." She took a drink from the fridge.

Tanisha cringed. "Vases? You threw breakable expensive vases at him?"

Erika shrugged. "Inui's fault. He was annoying me with all his data."

Tanisha then started muttering something about killing and possible murder.

"Excuse me." Yumiko interrupted as she sat back down on the counter and stretched her wounded leg. "What are you all doing here anyway?"

"I was thirsty." June and Erika said.

"Which reminds me," Fuji turned to his buchou. "Saa Tezuka, what were you doing here all alone with Yumiko-chan?"

"What?" Eiji asked. "Who would have thought? Buchou and Yumiko-chan."

Momo butted in. "Really? That's new. Even Inui-senpai couldn't have predicted that."

"Actually I did." Inui and Renji appeared from out of nowhere, scaring everyone except Fuji and Tezuka. "97 percent of the female population worship Tezuka while an estimated 83 percent adore Yumiko. Yumiko is one of the very few, particularly 3 percent, people who do not worship or even harbor any feelings for him, which results in Tezuka secretly being attracted to her which adds him into that 83 percent."

"That's interesting Sadaharu. Might I see that?" Renji said. The two exchanged notebooks.

"Erika-chan, you're right. He is irritating." Ryoh said. "Plus, I didn't understand anything he said."

Erika threw her can of softdrink at him. Inui dodged it and he and Renji walked out the door.

Fuji, Tanisha, Tezuka and Yumiko understood everything the dataman said. The first two were wearing Chesire cat grins on their faces, while the last two were trying hard not to blush.

"How interesting." Fuji said. He was rewarded with a glare by his captain.

"You guys are being too mysterious." Yuuta said. "Let's go June." The two headed to the door.

"We'll come with you." Erika and Ryoh said.

"You know, now that I think about it, Tezuka-senpai and Yumiko-senpai do make a nice couple." Izumi said as she looked at the two. Momo and Eiji nodded in agreement. Yumiko was outright blushing now while Tezuka was contemplating how many laps he'll punish the two with. He decided on a thousand each for the two, three thousand for Fuji and five thousand for Inui.

"Uh-oh." Everyone looked at June who was holding the doorknob.

"What?"

"The door's locked."

They all heard the sound of mad laughing from the other side of the door.

"INUI!!! RENJI!!!"

* * *

"What is this place?" Nami asked.

"It's a darkroom." Yuushi said.

"What?" Gakuto asked. "What's a darkroom?"

"It's a place where photos are developed." Seiichi answered.

The dark room was...dark, of course. The walls were black and a small light bulb hung from the ceiling. There were pictures hung up and labeled containers with something inside them. In short, it looked like an ordinary darkroom, except it was large.

"Interesting." Everyone looked over at Ryoma who was sitting on the floor beside a file cabinet. The bottom drawer was open and a folder was opened over his lap.

"Ryoma-kun," Sakuno approached him. "You shouldn't be snooping a-" She paused and sat beside him. She took a picture from the folder. "Is this Fuji-senpai and Aki-senpai?"

"What is that?" Sanada asked. Sanada was never one to snoop around other people's belongings and he hated people who do it.

Seiichi sat beside the two freshman and looked at the pictures. "They're Aki-chan's pictures...with her family." He looked at a picture. "And her friends."

It wasn't long before everybody else started opening drawers and snooping around, even Sanada.

* * *

**A/N:** There. What do you think? Seems as if Inui and Renji are wreaking havoc and locking people up. I'll give you a little preview of the next chapter, which will be my last chapter concerning the party.

Something will happen with the people stuck in the kitchen.

The others who are snooping around the darkroom, will discover something.

Atobe will stumble upon something shocking.

There's a reason why particular people are stuck in a particular room. You'll find out in the next chapter.

**Wreaking havoc**

Inui Sadaharu

Yanagi Renji

**Walking around**

Atobe Keigo

**Kitchen **(notice anything with the people stuck inside?)

Hamada Tanisha

Sasaki Yumiko

Fuji Syuusuke

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Eiji Kikumaru

Momoshiro Takeshi

Fujiwara Izumi

Erika

June

Fuji Yuuta

Shishido Ryoh

**Darkroom**

Echizen Ryoma

Fujiwara Nami

Watanabe Rin

Ryuuzaki Sakuno

Oshitari Yuushi

Mukahi Gakuto

Yukimura Seiichi

Sanada Genichirou

**Game Room**

Oishi Shuichiroh

Kia

Miko

Marui Bunta

Kuwahara Jackal

Kirihara Akaya

Kabaji Munehiro

Hiyoshi Wakashi

Tachibana Ann

Kamio Akira

Tachibana Kippei

**Family Room**

Kaidoh Kaoru

Kawamura Takashi

Edagawa Hiro

Reiko

Ohtori Choutarou

Akutagawa Jiroh

Ibu Shinji

* * *


	15. The Party of the Century: Surprises

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys!!! The next chappie's here. This will be the last chapter of the "The Party of the Century" mini-series, which means... sigh...no more torture...as if. There are always opportunity for torture...bwahahaha.

I just want to take all those who reviewed and read my story. Thank you so much.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (Nothing still.)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 15: The Party of the Century: Surprises**

**(Normal POV)**

Eiji may be one of the most vibrant, upbeat and childish of the regulars, but he was definitely not slow. Sure, he can be a tad slow at times but he isn't that slow, not to mention stupid enough, not to realize what position he was in. Here he was, locked in the kitchen with all of his friends, all of which happened to be couples. How depressing was that?

Eiji sat down in the corner of the large kitchen. The redhead sighed as Momoshiro and Izumi approached him and sat down on either side of him.

"Hey Eiji-senpai, what's wrong?" Izumi asked.

"Nya Izu-chan, I'm lonely."

"What're you talking about? We're right here, senpai." Momo said.

"Nya, look." Eiji pointed at all the couples one by one. First were Tezuka, Yumiko, Tanisha and Fuji who were occupying the counter. Second were Ryoh and Erika who were sitting down on the floor just beside the refrigerator. Last, he pointed out Yuuta and June who were on the floor near the locked door and regularly checking if it's unlocked.

"See nya." Eiji pouted.

"So?" Izumi shrugged. "I know they are all couples, but there's three of us here." Momo nodded in agreement.

Eiji frowned at the two. He pointed at the two of them. "You mean you don't even know it? You two are probably going to end up just like them all. Everyone says so, nya."

"WHAT?!" Momo and Izumi shouted in surprise. They cast a glance at each other and looked away quickly, blushing furiously.

"We're not!!!" Izumi said.

"Izu-chan and I are just friends!!!" Momo added.

Before Eiji could stop himself, he spoke. "And people call me slow."

If possible, Izumia and Momo blushed more furiously. They both settled down and kept silent. Eiji simply sighed and shook his head. This was really depressing.

On the other side of the room, Yumiko and Tanisha were talking while the latter was busy engaging Fuji in a game of thumb war. They had all heard Izumi and Momo's shouts and were expressing their disapproval.

"You know, Kikumaru-kun should have been more subtle." Tanisha said and tried to evade Fuji's thumb.

Fuji almost came close to pinning Tanisha's thumb. "Subtlety is not one of Eiji's strong points." He said. "Ah-ha. I win."

"Best three-out-of-five." Tanisha declared and started another game.

"You know, you are never going to win." Yumiko said and watched as Tanisha lost yet again.

Tanisha pouted. "That's only because he has a freakishly strong thumb." Fuji chuckled at that.

Yumiko smiled. "That's the result of sports, ne Tezuka?" Tezuka nodded at that.

Tanisha and Fuji continued on with their game. Suddenly, Tanisha jerked. "Oh my gosh, I forgot." She didn't even notice as Fuji nailed her thumb down. "Yumi-chan, you must think I'm such a horrible friend. What happened with the lawyers?"

Fuji and Tezuka looked at Yumiko curiously. She smiled. "It's ok, Aki-chan. With everything that's happened, even I forgot to tell you."

Tanisha looked at her eagerly. "So?"

"Well, you know that Sho-niisan is already living with otousan and Hana-neechan stayed with okaasan, right?" Yumiko asked. Tanisha nodded at that. "Well, despite the fact that they finally decided where to live, we were all put into joint custody."

Tanisha grinned. "Yup, that's the best option."

Yumiko grinned. "Plus, I got the best deal out of this. Since my siblings had already decided on where to permanently live, I can stay at home or at the apartment anytime I want. No limits, no time, no schedule."

"Which means, you can live back and forth between them?"

Yumiko nodded. "Yeah, I can pretty much go anywhere I want. The house isn't that far from the apartment so there's no problem with that. We're all required to have a family gathering twice a month for important matters. And get this, they both agreed to increase our allowance."

"Ooh, that means more money." Tanisha grinned.

Yumiko noticed Fuji and Tezuka looking at them. "Um... I'm a divorced kid and my allowance will increase starting Monday, that's all you need to know."

"I didn't know you were money-hungry, Yumiko." Tezuka said.

Yumiko gave a small smile. "I sort of have a money phobia, I guess. I'm not really money hungry but I welcome any chance to earn and get money."

"And besides," Tanisha and Fuji went back to their thumb war. "It's money. No one can have too much money."

"You say that just because you don't have a problem with money." Fuji smiled. "Ne, billionaire heiress?"

Needless to say, Fuji lost that particular round.

* * *

"Hey, look at this." Gakuto showed them all a picture he found. It was a picture of a three-year-old Tanisha in the arms of an older woman. She had long red hair and deep brown eyes.

"She's pretty." Sakuno said. "Is that Aki-senpai's okaasan?"

"Seems to be." Seiichi looked at the picture closely. "I remember Aki-chan telling me her mother's name. What was it again, Genichirou?"

Sanada examined a few pictures. "Her name was Takara."

"Takara, eh?" Nami pulled out another folder from a drawer.

"Was she a model?" Ryoma suddenly asked.

"Yes, she was." Sanada answered. "How did you know?"

Ryoma threw them a picture of a teenage Takara. She was wearing a slightly revealing red gown and was standing at the foot of a grand staircase. A label on the bottom said, "COSMOPOLITAN" in English.

"It's COSMOPOLITAN." Ryoma said and pointed at the label. "It was in the March issue about three years ago."

"Isn't COSMOPOLITAN a woman's magazine?" Yuushi asked and took the picture. "How would you know that?"

"My okaasan has every issue of it back in America." Ryoma shrugged. "She was a fan of that picture."

Yuushi pulled out his camera phone from his pocket. He attempted to take a picture of it.

"Aki-chan is not going to appreciate you taking pictures of the pictures of her Mom." Nami said and plucked the picture from his hands. Yuushi frowned.

"But her Mom was hot." Gakuto said and tried to get the picture.

Nami moved away. "If Takara-san was still alive, she wouldn't appreciate that crack."

"It was a compliment!!!" Gakuto said.

"Well, if you think Takara-san is hot, I'd better not show this picture of Aki-chan." Rin spoke up while looking at a picture. Sakuno took a peek and giggled.

"What's that?" Ryoma asked. Sakuno whispered at his ear and he grinned.

"What's that? Let me see." Gakuto pouted.

"It's Aki-senpai in a bathing suit." Ryoma answered. The prince's grin grew as he saw their various reactions and Rina and Sakuno started giggling. Nami dropped the folder she was carrying, scattering the pictures across the floor. Yuushi's mouth hang open. Sanada's eyes widened. Seiichi flinched. Meanwhile, Gakuto was begging to see the picture.

"Let me see." Gakuto said. Ryoma, Sakuno and Rin noticed Seiichi give him a look of annoyance.

"Well..." Rin then handed it over. She was amused to see Seiichi's eyes darken.

"Yey...what?!" Gakuto showed them the picture. It was a picture of Tanisha at the age of two wearing a bathing suit. Everybody laughed. Seiichi's relieved look didn't escape Ryoma, Sakuno and Rin.

"Ha-ha, very funny." Gakuto pouted.

"Just kidding. This is the real picture." Rin flashed it once before hiding it behind her back. Everybody was able to catch a glimpse of it. It really was Tanisha in a bathing suit.

"Ne Ryuuzaki," Ryoma looked at Sakuno. "Do you have your phone? Can I borrow it?"

Sakuno nodded. She handed him her camera phone. Ryoma grabbed the picture from Rin and took a quick picture.

"What was that for?" Nami asked.

Ryoma shrugged and pocketed the phone. "I'm sure Fuji-senpai would be happy to receive this picture via e-mail."

* * *

Atobe wandered around the second floor and made his way down the first floor. The Hyotei emperor was busy examining the place and comparing it to his own mansion. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was impressed with the beautiful house.

He wandered down the staircase and headed to the living room. He wanted to get a good look at that room. It was truthfully more beautiful than his own living room.

Once he arrived there, he was surprised to see two people standing near the doorway. It was Hamada Akio talking to a pretty woman.

* * *

"This is boring." Kirihara pouted and lied down on the couch.

"Well, we can't do anything about it. It's dark, there's no power and it's raining outside." Miko said and sat down on the floor beside the couch. Kirihara started playing with her hair.

"You could do what they do." Kamio pointed at Marui and Kia who were snuggled up on the couch.

"Mind your own business." Marui said.

"Yeah, yeah." Kamio said and lied down on the floor.

"Hey, Oishi-senpai," Ann called out to the fukubuchou. "Where are Momo and Izu-chan?"

Oishi shrugged. "Eiji took them somewhere. I don't know."

"With any luck, they are probably making out somewhere." Kia commented.

"What?!" Ann looked at her incredulously. "I'm going to go look for him." She stood up.

"Now, Ann-chan-" Kippei tried to talk, but his younger sister ignored him and walked off. He looked at Kamio.

Kamio stood up and grabbed a candle. "Fine." He walked out and followed Ann.

"Nice going, Kia-senpai." Miko said.

Kia looked at her, clueless. "What did I do?"

"Kamio loves Ann, who is in love with Momoshiro, who is having trouble deciding between Ann and Izumi." Jackal said.

"Ooh," Marui looked at his teammate. "I thought the all-mighty Jackal never gets involved in gossip?"

Jackal glared at him. "It's not gossip. It's a fact."

"Yes, even Hyotei knows about it." Hiyoshi spoke up. Everybody gaped at him. "What?" He growled at them.

"Y-You talked." Miko pointed out.

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Wait, you mean Hyotei's gossiping about my sister?" Kippei asked.

"Usu." Kabaji said.

"Now he talked." Miko pointed at him.

"I thought he only talked when Atobe's near." Kirihara said.

"Now, don't be mean." Oishi said.

"Can we get back on topic?" Kippe said.

"We weren't really talking about your sister." Hiyoshi finally said. How weird it was that he was being talkative. "Gakuto-senpai starts it by saying how much better he is than Eiji, then they shift the conversation to how weird the Seigaku regulars are, then they wonder how Fudomine can be friends with them, then somebody asks if you're sister still hasn't hooked up with Kamio and left Momoshiro alone."

Kabaji nodded. "Usu."

Kippei frowned and Oishi looked surprised. The fukubuchou spoke up. "The Seigaku regulars, I mean...WE aren't weird. The others kept saying about how Hyotei was the weird one."

Hiyoshi was about to comment but Marui cut him off. "Yeah, even we say so. Hyotei's the weirdest school with the weirdest regulars ever."

"Rikkai." Hiyoshi said simply.

"Nuh-uh, it's Seigaku." Kirihara said.

Oishi didn't really want to call anybody weird, but he had to defend his honor. He was a Seigaku regular after all. "Hyotei."

Kabaji simply pointed at Jackal. "Rikkai." He said in a low voice.

"Seigaku." Jackal said back.

Kia shook her head. "This is annoying."

Miko agreed. "Yeah, let's just end this conversation by saying the Fudomine regulars are the closest thing to normal."

Kippei kept quiet, but he was glad that his regulars were the closest thing to normal.

"Wait, was that a compliment or an insult?"

* * *

"Are Momoshiro and Izumi here?" Ann barged in the family room followed by Kamio.

She scanned the room. There were Kaidoh, Takashi, Hiro and Shinji sitting on the floor in a circle playing with cards. Jiroh was sleeping with his head on Reiko's lap. Reiko and Choutarou were talking.

"Fsshhh...that porcupine-head and that rabid drummer are probably making out in a room somewhere." Kaidoh said.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Ann asked angrily.

"Because there's a very high chance of that happening." Hiro said. "Taka-san, three of diamonds."

Takashi shook his head. "Go fish."

Ann sat down on the couch. "Mou, so unfair."

Kamio settled down beside the people playing Go Fish. "This is so unfair."

"Why don't you just finally get it over with and tell Ann that you like her-" Shinji was stopped as Kamio placed a hand over his mouth.

"Shh...be quiet." Kamio said. "Besides, she likes that baka porcupine."

"I thought Momoshiro liked Izumi-chan?" Takashi asked the group.

"He still can't decide between Izumi and Ann." Hiro said. "Plus, Izumi is in denial about her feelings for him."

"Poor Kamio. Nobody loves him." Shinji said.

"For your information, I'm right here."

* * *

"I'm getting sleepy." June said and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it anyway?"

Yuuta glanced at his watch. "Eleven-thirty."

"After everything that's happened, it's only eleven-thirty?" June asked. She yawned and leaned her head on Yuuta's shoulder.

"I don't know." Yuuta answered and leaned against June. She yawned again and it wasn't long before the two of them fell asleep.

"Kawaii!!!" Tanisha said as she looked at the two.

"What a time for me to be without my camera." Fuji commented.

"Nah, you can just borrow my video footage if this whole party." Tanisha whispered to him. "The security cameras run on a back-up battery in case the power is cut off. They installed that in case some murderer or kidnapper cuts off the power and kills or kidnaps us. The video footage is for evidence."

"Smart and sneaky." Fuji commented. The two then started whispering and making plans about how they were going to use the video footage.

"Sometimes, I wonder why I hang out with these people." Erika said and leaned against Ryoh.

Ryoh placed an arm around her. "Good entertainment?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Erika nodded and yawned. "You know, I'm sort of getting sleepy just looking at those two." She then drifted off to sleep. Ryoh snuggled against her and gave in to the lull of sleep.

Yumiko sighed. "Four down, seven to go."

"You're sleepy too, aren't you?" Tezuka asked with a hint of a smile on his face.

"A little." Yumiko admitted. "I think what's making everyone sleepy is the fact that the kitchen is so hot."

"Nya, Izu-chan, Momo. Aren't you two going to talk?" Eiji asked.

"Nope." The two said.

"But that was just a rumor, nya." Eiji whined. "If it isn't true, why are you both being affected?"

"You know, he's right." Izumi told Momo.

He blushed a bit, but answered her. "Yeah."

"See?" Eiji grinned at his success at getting them to talk to each other.

* * *

"Now this is weird." Nami said as they all looked at Ryoma who was snapping pictures with Sakuno's phone.

"Ryoma-kun, are you really serious about sending that to Fuji-senpai?" Sakuno asked.

Ryoma nodded. "Sure. He told me to do it."

"What?" Seiichi asked.

"Fuji told you to take pictures of Aki-chan?" Rin asked.

"No." Ryoma snapped a picture.

"But you just said-"

"It was the best excuse at the time." Ryoma said.

"Ok." Nami took the picture in Ryoma's hand. "You are seriously sick, Ryoma. Go to sleep."

"How? It's dark and the floor's hard." Ryoma asked, while pouting.

"Just go to sleep!!!" Gakuto said.

Ryoma stood up and started walking around.

"You know, I'm worried about that kid. We should tell Tezuka his prized regular has cracked." Yuushi commented.

"It's the lack of sleep." Rin said. She checked her watch. "It's eleven-thirty five, probably past his bedtime."

They all went about stuffing the pictures and folders back into the cabinets.

"Interesting." Ryoma spoke up. The freshman was staring at the few pictures hanging.

"How come it's that kid who always sees something interesting?" Gakuto whined.

"What is it?" Sanada asked.

Ryoma shrugged. "It's a picture of Aki-senpai's Dad with another woman."

Everyone scrambled around to finish their work and then stood up to take a look.

* * *

Atobe stood still and kept silent as he watched Akio talking to the pretty woman. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw him give her a quick kiss on the lips before escorting her outside. He vaguely heard the sound of the falling rain and a car door slamming before Akio walked back in the house. He was surprised when he saw Atobe standing there.

"Keigo," Akio said.

Atobe almost dropped his laptop. He gave a bow and a stuttered apology. "Um...I-I apologize H-Hamada-san. I-I'll go."

Atobe straightened and turned around, ready to leave.

"Wait, Keigo."

Atobe stopped in his tracks.

"I would appreciate it if you do not mention this to Tanisha." Atobe could practically here the slight distress in his voice. "She will find out about this soon enough, but I would much prefer it coming from me."

Atobe nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you."

Atobe quickly high-tailed it out of there. He knew something like this was going to happen soon. He just hoped Tanisha wouldn't do anything drastic once she finds out about it.

* * *

"Have you noticed that Yanagi-senpai is missing?" Kirihara suddenly asked.

Oishi stood up. "Now that you mention it, where's Inui?"

"I bet they're out wreaking havoc." Marui spoke up.

"That's probably why Eiji and the others are gone." Oishi headed out the door.

"Come on, Mabu-kun." Kia stood up and pulled Marui to his feet. "Let's go find out where the others are."

"Yeah, even Yukimura-buchou and Sanada-fukubuchou are missing." Kirihara said. He and Miko walked out.

It wasn't long before everyone else started walking out, wondering where their teammates and friends are. The crowd headed for the game room.

* * *

Oishi walked into the game room. "Has anybody seen Eiji?"

All those in the game room shook their heads.

"How about Aki-chan?" Choutarou asked.

Again, everybody shook their heads.

"Has anyone seen Yukimura-buchou and Sanada-fukubuchou?" Kirihara asked.

"More importantly, where's Renji?" Marui asked.

"And Inui?" Takashi asked.

"Yes?" Everybody jumped up as Inui and Renji suddenly appeared.

"Where were you?" Oishi asked. "And where are the others?"

Inui and Renji smirked at each other before saying at the same time. "Locked up."

"What? Where?"

They answered. "Somewhere."

"Come on. We should probably go look for them." Everyone walked out of the room and started searching for the missing people.

"Sadaharu, we should probably hide now." Renji said.

Inui nodded. "If Aki-chan finds us, there's a 100 percent possibility that she'll kill us."

The two datamen disappeared and tried to find a good hiding place.

* * *

"Nobody is to mention a word of this to Tanisha. Got it?" Sanada said to everyone.

Everyone nodded, except Ryoma.

"Why?" Ryoma asked.

"She's probably going to go berserk and kill you if you tell her." Nami explained. "Either that or she'll hire an assassin to kill you."

Ryoma finally nodded his agreement.

"Hey, do you hear that?" Gakuto asked.

Everyone stayed silent and listened. They could hear footsteps.

Gakuto and Nami ran over to the door and started pounding on it and shouting.

Finally the door opened to their freedom.

* * *

"Hey look." Tanisha pointed. "Even Yumi-chan fell asleep."

"She's tired." Tezuka said and looked down at the sleeping girl who was lying down on the counter.

"I can't believe Tezuka can actually be gentle." Fuji said earning him a glare from the buchou.

Tanisha smiled. "I- Wait a sec."

They all turned quiet as they heard a scratching noise coming from outside. The door opened slowly and then burst fully open.

"I FOUND THEM!!!"

June and Yuuta woke up in an instant, but accidentally bumped their heads together.

"OW!!!" The two shouted.

Erika and Ryoh jumped up. Curses dangling at the edge of their lips.

"Who the hell-"

"Who the fu-"

They both slapped a hand over their mouths to prevent themselves from continuing their cursing out loud.

Yumiko gave a gasp and sat up. She sat up so quickly however, that she accidentally threw herself from the counter.

"Yumiko!!!" Tezuka, who was thankfully beside her, caught her.

Eiji was so surprised, he accidentally pushed Izumi, sending her straight at Momo.

"Is everyone all right?" Oishi walked in followed by the crowd.

"Oishi!!!" Eiji stood up and rushed to his doubles partner. "Nya, it was so lonely!!! Everyone was all mushy and I was all alone."

"That's what happens when you're stuck in a room filled with couples." Gakuto said.

"Hiro!!!" Nami looked at her cousin who was sprawled over Momoshiro. "There's the proof you need. You owe me money."

Ann looked at them and her eyes widened. "No way!!!"

"Fsshhh...See, they hooked up already." Kaido commented.

Momo panicked. "Everyone, this isn't what it looks like!!!"

"That's the oldest excuse in the book." Marui commented.

"I thought the oldest excuse was 'we were drunk'?" Ryoma asked.

"See? I told you all he's cracked." Yuushi said. "Tezuka, you sh-" Everyone looked at Tezuka, who had Yumiko in his arms.

"Woah, Tezuka you move fast." Atobe made an appearance.

"Hey, Atobe where've you been?" Jiroh said, awake for once.

"Ore-sama has been around." Atobe waved that away. "Why look, even Ryoh's made his move."

"Shishido-san, Erika-san." Choutarou looked at the two who had stopped cursing. He noticed that Ryoh had a hand on her waist.

Ryoh glared at Atobe, but didn't move away from Erika.

"Yuuta-kun, are you ok?" Fuji helped his brother up, who helped June up.

"Yeah." Yuuta rubbed his head. "How about you June?"

June nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty much ok."

"Can everybody quiet down for a sec?" Tanisha said above the noise. "Two questions. Number one, who shouted?"

Everyone looked at Gakuto. Tanisha went to him and knocked him on the head.

"OW!!! What was that for? You should be glad I noticed that chair jammed against the doorknob and let you out."

"Yes, but you also blasted our eardrums." Tanisha said matter-of-factly. "Number two, where are Inui and Renji?!"

Everyone quieted down at the angry redhead's words. Sanada and Takashi walked forward, dragging the two datamen who were busy writing down in their notebooks.

"Ii Data." The two said and continued writing, completely ignoring Tanisha.

"I'm so angry now, I could-"

_BLINK...BLINK...BLINK..._

Everybody rejoiced as the lights and the power turned back on.

"You know what? Let's just forget it!!!" Tanisha shouted. "I'll leave your punishments to Tezuka and Sanada!!!"

"Now now, what's with all the shouting in here?" Hamada Akio walked in.

"Dad!!! Are you ok?" Tanisha asked.

"Fine dear. But where have you been? I've been looking for you." Everyone noticed Inui and Renji wince at that.

Tanisha glared at them before saying. "Um...nothing. We were just chatting."

"In the kitchen?"

"Never mind." Tanisha shook her head.

* * *

Tanisha waved as a limo drove off containing the four Fudomine guests. She turned to the limo containing the Hyotei regulars.

"Bye Aki-chan!!! We'll see you soon!!!" Gakuto shouted from the limo's window.

"Goodbye Tanisha." Atobe said and grinned. "Ore-sama expects to see you soon."

"Sure Keigo." Tanisha nodded. She smiled and waved at the others. "Bye guys."

The limo drove off.

Tanisha turned to the second limo where all the Rikkais were.

"We'll see you soon Aki-chan. Come by and visit Rikkai sometime." Marui said.

Tanisha nodded. "Sure. Sanada, I heard you and Seiichi-kun were stuck in the darkroom?"

Sanada nodded and glared at Renji.

"Yes, unfortunately." Seiichi said.

"I'll let you two handle Renji." Tanisha grinned. "Bye guys."

The second limo drove off.

"So, party's over I guess." Tanisha turned to her friend.

Yumiko smiled. "Seems like it."

"Will you make it home ok?"

Yumiko nodded. "Uh-huh. Tezuka lives near my otousan's apartment. He said he'll help me."

"Really?" Tanisha grinned. "Seems to me that you've spent all your time with Tezuka."

Yumiko blushed. "Whatever."

Tanisha hugged her friend. "Stay safe. I'll see you at school, make sure you can walk by then."

"Yup." Yumiko nodded as Tezuka held her hand. "Thanks for everything."

"Sure. Tezuka, you'd better make sure my best friend gets home safe."

Tezuka nodded. The two then went inside the limo.

Tanisha felt herself being glomped from the back.

"Thanks for the party Aki-chan." Eiji said.

"Yeah, but it kinda sucked since the power went off and we were locked in the kitchen." Tanisha grinned.

"It's ok." Eiji said. "See you at school." Eiji dived inside the limo.

Tanisha waved goodbye as all the Seigaku regulars and students went inside the limo. Fuji paused just near the door and faced her.

"I'll see you at school then Tashi-chan." Fuji said.

"Yeah." Tanisha said. They looked at each other. Fuji gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, which she didn't fight off.

"Bye." She waved. Fuji nodded and went in.

Finally, the last limo drove out of sight.

* * *

**A/N:** There, that's the last of the "The Party of the Century" series. I know there wasn't much Fuji and Tanisha interaction in these past chapters, but there will be soon I promise. Plus, expect lots more drama and lots more torture!!!

That COSMOPOLITAN thing is a reference to my Mom, who has like every issue ever made, I think.

The incident in the kitchen were based on true to life happenings. That happened when me and my friends were being lazy in my room and another friend of mine suddenly barged in. I was the one who knocked heads with my best friend.

I'm very happy to announce that I'm about to pass the 100 review mark!!! YEY!!! Thank you all so much!!! Thank you to those who reviewed and have my story on their faves/alerts!!!

I hope you guys continue supporting my story and I'll promise that I'll continue doing my best.

With thanks and gratitude,

Rai

* * *


	16. Everything You Want

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. You know, I actually feel really weird making a chapter in which there are no more masses of people to think about, couples to consider, mayhem to weave and all those other things I had to worry about in the "The Party of the Century" mini-series. It sort of feels as if something ended...but still, I am going to continue and do my best!!!

Please read and review guys. They keep me going.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (I finally have it!!! If you haven't heard these songs check out my profile for links) (I swear, you guys have to listen to this song!!!)

Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 16: Everything You Want**

(Guys, I am going to continue using the normal POV, unlike in the first chapters of the story in which I used Tanisha's POV. I hope that's ok.)

**(Normal POV)**

Tanisha sighed as her friends kept on talking about the party last Saturday.

"Guys, you were all there." Tanisha interrupted their talking. "You all saw and heard what happened, so please stop talking about it."

Hiro, Nami, Izumi and Rin looked at her as if she was crazy. Yumiko giggled.

"Am-girl," Hiro said and slung an arm around her shoulders. "What is the fun of experiencing something together, if you don't talk about it?"

Tanisha shrugged off his arm and glared. "Stop calling me that. Anyway, I don't really get it. If people experienced the same thing, what's the use of talking about it? I mean, you all know what happened. You were all there. Plus, you have been talking about it for the whole day now. You talked about it this morning, then in-between classes, then during lunch, then in-between classes again and now all-through our JAM session. Can't you talk about something else?"

Nami sighed. "Are you done?"

Tanisha nodded. "Yes, I'm done."

"The thing is Aki-senpai," Izumi said. "You appreciate an event much more if you talk about it. Talking about it makes you remember it, and remembering it makes you miss it and missing it makes you want to do it again."

Yumiko looked at Izumi in surprise. "You know, that actually makes sense."

Tanisha looked at her friend, bug-eyed. "I can't believe you actually said something smart."

Nami patted her on the shoulder. "Cousin, I'm relieved to know that you actually have a brain in there."

Hiro chuckled. "If that isn't a sign for a celebration, I don't know what is."

Izumi pouted and Rin giggled.

Tanisha glanced at her watch and stood up. "Whoops, sorry guys. I have to go."

"Where are you going Aki-senpai?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, aren't you going to celebrate Izumi's growing a brain with us?" Hiro asked only to receive a glare from Izumi.

Tanisha laughed and grabbed her bag. "As much as I would like to celebrate this development, I have an appointment today."

Yumiko cocked an eyebrow. "I thought your big date wasn't until tomorrow?"

Nami jumped up. "Wait a sec! Hold up! What date? With who?"

Tanisha frowned at her best friend. "Good job." Yumiko smiled in an innocent manner.

"Am-girl, who's the lucky guy?" Hiro asked.

"More importantly, does Fuji-senpai know about it?" Izumi asked with a sly grin.

"I don't think Fuji is in any way concerned with my personal life." Tanisha said. She ignored Izumi who was rolling her eyes. "And for your information, it's Kajimoto Takahisa."

"Oh my God!!!" Nami grabbed Tanisha's shoulders. "You don't mean THE Kajimoto Takahisa, captain of the Jyosei Shonan tennis team?"

"How does she know all this?" Tanisha looked at Hiro and Izumi. "Does she memorize the tennis regulars of every school in the country?"

Izumi shrugged. "Sort of. Kajimoto Takahisa just happened to be her second favorite tennis player."

"Correction." Nami turned to her. "He's my most favorite now. Fuji used to be my number one, but I dropped him seeing as he's more interested in Am-girl."

"What the heck does that mean?" Tanisha asked.

"Wait, who's Nami-chan's second favorite then?" Yumiko asked.

Rin started narrating them all. "Well, if Kajimoto's her favorite, then Tezuka-buchou's her second, Sanada-fukubuchou's her third and-"

"Let's not start this." Nami said. She then turned to Tanisha. "Are you really going to go on a date with Kajimoto?"

Tanisha nodded. "I met him last summer. He has relatives over in L.A. who he visited that time. We met at a beach party."

"So, where are you going now?" Hiro asked.

"I'm going to visit Youhei and Kouhei." Tanisha slung her bag over her shoulder. "Kajimoto said they were sick, so I promised to drop by and see them. The Tanaka twins were with Kajimoto when he visited L.A. so I know them."

"Tanaka twins," Nami nodded and slumped down on a chair. "The Jyosei Shonan Doubles 2 players." She turned to Hiro. What number are they?"

Hiro thought about it. "The last time, you told me they were your tenth favorite, but since you dropped Fuji they are your ninth favorite."

"Nami-chan, you're weird." Tanisha said. "I have to go." She waved goodbye and walked off.

* * *

"Hey Yumiko-chan, are you going to get home all right by yourself?" Nami asked her friend with a worried look on her face.

Yumiko nodded. "Of course, silly." She shook her bandaged leg slightly. "See, I can walk now. It's a bit slow, but I'll be ok. I promise."

Nami still looked worried. "But still..."

Yumiko shok her head. "I'll be fine. I'm staying at Dad's apartment for a while since it is closer and a lesser strain for my leg. I'll get home fine, so don't worry."

Nami shook her head. "I'll feel better if someone comes with you." Nami looked at somewhere behind Yumiko and smiled. "I know who can help you. Hey Tezuka!!!" Nami ran off towards the buchou.

Yumiko groaned. She had already caused the buchou trouble during the party and he also had to take her home. He must feel like her babysitter or something.

Yumiko turned around and was met with the sight of the regulars looking amused at the sight of their captain being dragged off. She almost laughed at the look of surprise at Tezuka's usually stoic face.

"Nami-chan, let him go. I said I don't need help." Yumiko said as Nami pushed Tezuka towards her. The rest of the regulars followed after them.

"But Yumiko-chan," Nami pouted. "You can't go home alone with a busted leg. What if you have an accident or something?"

Yumiko shook her head. "I am not going to have an accident. And for the record my leg isn't busted, it's wounded. You make it sound like my leg's about to be amputated."

Eiji walked towards them. "Nya, hey Yumiko-chan. What's wrong?"

Yumiko was about to answer but Nami cut her off. "You see, Yumiko-chan has to go home. I'm just worried about her and her leg, that's all."

Oishi nodded. "I agree. Someone should help you, you know."

"Guys, I'm fine." Yumiko said firmly. "I don't want anyone's help."

"She doesn't want it, Nami-senpai." Ryoma spoke up and sipped his Ponta. "You can't force her to, if you do it's child abuse."

"Ryoma, you have seriously cracked ever since Inui locked us up in a room. I swear you have gotten more annoying and talkative than usual." Nami commented. Ryoma simply shrugged and walked off.

"Wait a sec." Nami said and looked at the gathered regulars. "Where's Inui anyway?"

"Cleaning the clubroom." Takashi answered. "It's his punishment for what happened at the party."

"Plus, he's not allowed to make his Inui juice for a week." Eiji bounced around happily. "That's the best ever!"

"Hey cousin!!!" Izumi ran towards the group. "We're finally here and-" She paused. Everyone saw her and Momoshiro look at each other briefly. "Um...and we can go." She finished softly.

Nami grinned at the obvious chemistry between her cousin and the power player. "I see. Where's Hiro?"

"He and Rin are waiting for us over by the gates." Izumi said.

Nami nodded. "Ok. Now," She turned to Yumiko and looked at her seriously. "You-"

"I'll take her." Tezuka interrupted her. "You can just go." He slung Yumiko's bag on his shoulder. Yumiko look at him in surprise.

Nami grinned happily at her success as Yumiko groaned. "Arigatou Tezuka. Take care Yumiko-chan." She grabbed her cousin's hand. "Come on Izu-chan. Hey Momoshiro-kun, Oishi-kun, Eiji-kun!" The three looked at her. "Want to come with us? We're celebrating the unexpected appearance of Izumi's brain!!!"

Izumi blushed as Momoshiro chuckled. "Cousin, that wasn't necessary!!!"

Momo nodded. "Sure, I'll come." He caught Izumi's eye and the two blushed.

Eiji nodded too. "Me too. Come on Oishi!!!"

"Hey Taka-san!!! We're going over to your shop!!!" Nami said and ran off.

"Wait for me." Taka-san ran after all of them.

"Come on Mamushi!!!" Momoshiro called and laughed.

"Fsshhh... See you buchou, Fuji-senpai, Yumiko-senpai." Kaidoh ran after his rival.

Yumiko sighed as only she, Tezuka and Fuji are left.

"Saa, Yumiko-chan." Fuji turned to her. "Have you seen Tashi-chan?"

Yumiko flinched, which didn't escape the Seigaku buchou and the tennis tensai. "Um...she left."

"Where did she go?" Fuji asked, keeping the smile on his face but exerting a slight force in his words. Tezuka gave him a warning look.

Yumiko thought it over. "Um...she's over at the...she visited the Tanaka twins." She answered. "They were sick and she promised to drop by their house."

"Really?" Fuji asked. Yumiko saw his smiled turn into a thoughtful frown. "I see." Fuji walked off. "Arigatou Yumiko-chan, Tezuka. Ja ne."

* * *

"What was that about?" Tezuka couldn't help asking his companion as he accompanied her past the school gates and down the road.

Yumiko shrugged. "There isn't really anything wrong with Aki-chan going over to see the Tanaka twins. The problem is that the twins happened to be good friends with the Jyosei buchou, who has a date with Aki-chan tomorrow. No doubt she might bump into him on her visit."

Tezuka nodded. "I see."

"You know how Fuji acts around Aki-chan." Yumiko said. She stopped walking.

Tezuka looked at her and saw her wiggle her foot. "You all right, Yumiko?"

"Fine." She said and walked on. "It sorta stings a bit, whenever I put too much weight on it." Without thinking, Yumiko placed her hand on Tezuka's arm and started taking small baby steps. "There."

Tezuka looked down at her hand on his arm and settled to ignore it. It wasn't much trouble anyway. He then remembered something he wanted to ask her. "Yumiko."

Yumiko looked up at him. "Yeah?"

"What is it with the tattoo?"

Yumiko stopped in her tracks. She blushed. "What?"

"The dragon tattoo." Tezuka pointed down. "On your right thigh." He saw Yumiko's blush and said. "I noticed it when I was cleaning your wound last Saturday."

Yumiko tried the fight down her blushing. "Um...it's nothing. It's a family thing." Tezuka nodded and dropped the subject. He walked on, taking care not to walk too fast with Yumiko trailing beside him.

Yumiko decided to tell him. She did owe him that much for everything. "It's a family tradition." Tezuka gave her a side glance and nodded slightly to show he was listening.

"Everyone in our family has one. My okaasan has a rose on her lower back. My otousan has a cross on his chest. My oniisan, Sho, has a weird design on his back, just below his neck. My oneechan has a tribal design on her hip. Mine is a dragon on my thigh." Yumiko blushed at that. "Usually, you are tattooed on when you turn 18. It symbolizes family solidarity. When you became a member of our family, you have to be tattooed on a part of the body that only family members can see. We've been doing it for a long time."

"How come you have one? You're not 18." Tezuka said, slightly fascinated at this weird tradition.

"Well, you know that our parents got divorced. When they started acting hostile towards each other about three months ago, I got the tattoo." Yumiko explained. "There's this old guy, a family friend, who our family specifically goes to if we want our tattoos done. He was reluctant at first since he said I was too young, but he agreed. He's the one who chooses which tattoo to put on and where. It has to be on the correct place with the correct design."

Tezuka glanced at her. "Why's that?"

"Well, the tattoo you have and where it's located represents your personality and weakness . For example, me." Yumiko paused, but continued. "He said he chose a dragon tattoo because it symbolizes wisdom, independence, strength and sensitivity. He said he based it in my decision to get a tattoo at a time when I knew something was wrong. It also means short-tempered and stubborn."

"Which is true." Tezuka commented.

Yumiko smiled and softly punched his arm. "Very funny. It also means good luck. The reason why it's on my thigh is because I have a tendency to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over me. Being taken advantage of, meaning fooled and in other words...exploited, if you know what I mean."

* * *

"Otousan, I'm home." Yumiko said. "And I brought a friend." She turned to Tezuka. "Come on." She grabbed Tezuka's hand and led him into the spacious apartment.

Tezuka looked around. It was a typical apartment, homey, simple and airy. Yumiko opened the double doors leading to the balcony. She patted the sofa.

"Come on. Sit." Yumiko smiled at him. She took her bag from him. "I'll be right back. Make yourself at home." She walked off down a hallway.

Tezuka placed his bag near the sofa and walked around. He looked at the wall where pictures were hung on. He saw a picture of a young Yumiko and gave a small smile.

"Hey there."

Tezuka turned around and saw a guy slightly taller than him. He had dark brown curls and evident brown eyes. Tezuka bowed. "Ohayo. I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu, a friend of Yumiko's."

"Oh." He gave a boyish smile. "You must be the Tezuka I've been hearing so much about." He stepped forward and held out his hand. "I'm Sho, Yu-chan's older brother."

Tezuka shook his hand. "It's a pleasure."

Sho chuckled. "It's ok. Any friend of Yu-chan's is welcome here." He sat down on an armchair and Tezuka sat down on the sofa. "I really should thank you for helping Yu-chan out with that wound of hers. She told me about it. And thanks for getting her home safely by the way."

Tezuka shook his head. "It's no problem."

"I'm back." Yumiko appeared carrying a tray. Tezuka stood up to help her. "Thank you."

"Yu-chan, you shouldn't be carrying around heavy things." Sho frowned at his younger sis. "In fact, you shouldn't be moving around a lot."

Yumiko shook her head and sat down beside Tezuka. "I'm fine Sho-nii." She served Tezuka a drink, which he accepted gratefully. "Where's Dad?"

Sho shrugged and grabbed a drink. "With Uncle Wataru."

Yumiko's eyes darkened, slightly startling Tezuka. "What happened this time?"

Sho stood up and walked off but not before shouting over his shoulder. "Another mark on his record."

Tezuka placed his cup on the table and placed a hand on Yumiko's shoulder. "Yumiko?"

Yumiko snapped out of it. "Um...I'm fine. I'm just..." She sighed. "Uncle Wataru is sort of the shady one in the family. We've been told to stay away from him. You see, he has a record."

"What record?" Tezuka asked.

"He's rumored to be connected to many thefts and killings. Many tried suing him for things such as involvement with drugs dealers, assassinating people, threatening people and all that, but nobody has ever proven it. He's a rich and influential man. I would gladly stay as far away from him as I could."

* * *

Tanisha walked inside her mansion. She dropped her bag on the floor and threw herself onto the couch.

"Hello Aki." Izabel walked towards her and grabbed her bag from the floor. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good." Tanisha smiled. "I just visited Youhei and Kouhei, you know, the twins we met last summer. They've been sick for a while."

Izabel nodded. "Oh yeah. How are they?"

Tanisha shrugged. "Better. They said that the doctor said that they'll be fine and can go back to school and tennis tomorrow."

"That's good." Izabel nodded. "Come on. Dinner's ready."

Tanisha stood up. "Where's Dad? He isn't home yet?"

Izabel shook her head. "Afraid not. He said to tell you that he's having a late dinner with a new business partner."

"Really? Who?"

"Some guy named Sasaki Wataru."

* * *

(The next day...)

Tanisha and Yumiko laughed as Nami and Hiro recounted the events that happened yesterday with Izumi and Momo. Izumi sat in the side frowning at her cousin. They were all currently sitting at their spot at the back of the school after class.

"And he and Izumi blushed after I accidentally pushed them together." Nami said.

"Accident my foot." Izumi grumbled. Nami gave her an innocent smile.

"Aw..." Yumiko couldn't remove the grin from her face. "Poor Izu-chan."

Tanisha laughed. "Izumi, you're blushing."

Hiro started singing. "Izu-chan and Momo sitting in a tree," Nami joined in. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Shut up." Izumi glared at them.

"Ok ok, we'll stop." Nami said. She elbowed Hiro. "Wait, where's Rin?"

Izumi shrugged. "She has an after-school meeting with her group mates for a History project."

"How come you aren't doing anything?" Tanisha asked.

Izumi shrugged. "Our group already finished yesterday."

"Hey Aki-senpai."

Everyone jumped up as Rin suddenly appeared.

"Rin." Nami placed a hand over her heart. "Don't do that!!!"

Rin smiled amused. She then turned to Tanisha. "There you are senpai. Come on." She held Tanisha's hand and dragged her off. The rest ran after them.

"Where are we going?" Tanisha asked as Rin led her to the front of the school.

"There's someone looking for you." Rin said and pointed at the distance.

Tanisha looked at the scene. There was a crowd of girls near the gates. They were all giggling and seemed to be drooling at something...or someone. Rin dragged her to the crowd and pushed her way through. Tanisha was surprised to see Kajimoto Takahisa standing there, uniform and all and staring at the girls uneasily. He smiled as soon as he saw her.

"Tanisha. There you are." He walked towards her. The rest of the girls backed off a bit.

Tanisha smiled. "What are you doing here? I was going to drop by Jyosei after a little while."

Kajimoto shrugged. "I thought it would be much better to come here."

Nami and the others elbowed their way past the crowd of girls. She stopped dead once she saw Kajimoto. "Oh my God." She turned to the gaggle of girls and glared at them. "You all saw him so leave! Go on! Nothing to see here!" The girls sadly walked off.

Tanisha pulled on Kajimoto's arm. "Takahisa-kun, this are my friends. This is Rin, Hiro, Izumi, my best friend Yumiko and Nami."

Kajimoto grinned at all of them. Izumi elbowed her cousin to keep her from swooning. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Anyway, Takahisa-kun we should go." Tanisha said. She looked around the school grounds. "Bye guys." She quickly dragged off her companion.

Just as they disappeared around the corner, some of the regulars appeared.

"Hey nya," Eiji said and bounced towards the group, followed by Fuji and Oishi. "We heard that some tennis player came here."

Nami sighed dreamily. "Kajimoto Takahisa. He and Tanisha already went off on their d-" She was interrupted as Yumiko and Izumi placed a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Fuji's eyes darkened.

"Really?" He said. He then walked back to the tennis courts.

"Good job." Izumi said to her cousin.

"I hope Fuji doesn't do anything drastic." Oishi said. He was answered when Momoshiro appeared looking frantic.

"Oishi-fukubuchou, Eiji-senpai!!!" Momo called out. "What's the matter with Fuji-senpai? He's tearing up the tennis courts and completely annihilating his opponent!!!"

Oishi ran off and followed Momo. Eiji simply grinned. "Did Momo just use a big word like 'annihilate'?"

Nami nodded. She and Eiji then ran to the courts yelling. "Momo grew a brain!!!"

* * *

Kajimoto looked at the girl who was dragging him across the street. "Um...Tanisha, are you ok?"

Tanisha nodded and stopped in her tracks. "I'm fine. Sorry about that."

Kajimoto grinned at her. "It's ok. Come on. We have a date remember?" He then led her off.

Tanisha smiled. "Yeah."

_**Somewhere there's speaking**_

_**It's already coming in**_

_**Oh and it's rising at the back of your mind**_

_**You never could get it**_

_**Unless you were fed it**_

_**Now you're here and you don't know why**_

Tanisha squealed in delight as she saw where Kajimoto was taking her.

"You like it?" Kajimoto grinned.

Tanisha nodded. "Yeah. I've never been here."

"Come on." Kajimoto held out his hand. Tanisha took it and followed him to the zoo.

_**But under skinned knees and the skid marks**_

_**Past the places where you used to learn**_

_**You howl and listen**_

_**Listen and wait for the**_

_**Echoes of angels who won't return**_

For the next hour and a half, Tanisha enjoyed herself with looking at the various animals. Kajimoto smiled as Tanisha laughed and ran around like a child. He really did adore this girl.

Tanisha laughed as an attendant placed a parrot on her shoulder. "Tickles." She gave the camera a big smile.

After giving the parrot back to the attendant and thanking the man for the free photo, she ran to Kajimoto and gave him a hug. "Thanks for taking me here."

Kajimoto wrapped his arms around her waist, relishing the body contact. "You're welcome. I knew you'd like it here."

Tanisha noticed their proximity and let go of him. Kajimoto frowned slightly but that didn't dampen his good mood.

"I have another surprise for you." He said. Tanisha nodded excitedly.

_**He's everything you want**_

_**He's everything you need**_

_**He's everything inside of you**_

_**That you wish you could be**_

_**He says all the right things**_

_**At exactly the right time**_

_**But he means nothing to you**_

_**And you don't know why**_

"Close your eyes." He said. Tanisha nodded and closed her eyes. She giggled as Takahisa guided her some place.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Takahisa said. "Ok, we're here."

Tanisha opened her eyes and gaped. "Wow."

_**You're waiting for someone**_

_**To put you together**_

_**You're waiting for someone to push you away**_

_**There's always another wound to discover**_

_**There's always something more you wish he'd say**_

"What do you think?"

Tanisha picked up a turtle plushie and cuddled it. "Kawaii!!!" She placed the turtle back on the shelf and looked at the rows and rows of animal plushies in the store.

"You want one?" Kajimoto asked, to receive an eager nod. "Go on."

Tanisha smiled at him and he could swear his heart melted at her warm smile. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

_**He's everything you want**_

_**He's everything you need**_

_**He's everything inside of you**_

_**That you wish you could be**_

_**He says all the right things**_

_**At exactly the right time**_

_**But he means nothing to you**_

_**And you don't know why**_

Tanisha walked past rows and rows of plushies with Kajimoto beside her. She picked up an elephant plushie and cuddled it to her as she started at the other animal plushies. "Mou...what to choose?"

Kajimoto took her hand. "It's difficult to choose, right?"

Tanisha nodded. Kajimoto saw her give a very quick glance at their intertwined hands. She let go and picked up a blue dolphin plushie. "It's hard to choose when they're all so cute." She walked down the aisle.

Kajimoto's smile dropped, but he followed after her.

After a while, she found it. "I want this one."

She held up a Red Fox plushie.

_**But you'll just sit tight**_

_**And watch it unwind**_

_**It's only what you're asking for**_

_**And you'll be just fine**_

_**With all of your time**_

_**It's only what you're waiting for**_

Kajimoto took her to the counter, but Tanisha suddenly stopped.

"Wait." She grabbed two more plushies off the shelf, one of a Spotted Owl and another of a Dragon.

"You want those too?" Kajimoto asked.

She nodded and pulled out her wallet. "Uh-huh, but I'm paying for this two. I know two perfect people to give these to."

Kajimoto smiled as Tanisha placed the Red Fox on the counter, the lady at the cashier smiled. "Ah, I see you picked the Red Fox."

Tanisha nodded. "Yes. It was the last one on the shelf."

"Well, you're in luck." The lady pointed at the plushie. "That toy is included in our special promo. You get this for free." She held up another plushie of a white fox. "An Arctic Fox."

_**Out of the island**_

_**Into the highway**_

_**Past the places where you might have turned**_

_**You never did notice**_

_**But you still hide away**_

_**The anger of angels who won't return**_

Tanisha and Kajimoto walked out of the store. She kept thinking about what the lady said.

_"Give this fox to someone special and you two will remain close no matter what."_

Tanisha smiled as Kajimoto led her back home.

"It's late." Kajimoto smiled sadly. "I would have taken you out to dinner, but we took a long time at the store."

Tanisha smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I know I took so long."

He shook his head. "It's ok. I got to spend the day with you. That's the most important thing." They paused right outside the mansion's gates. He handed her the bags.

"Thanks Takahisa-kun." Tanisha smiled. She hesitated and then placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "I really enjoyed today."

Kajimoto nodded and walked closer to her. Tanisha gulped. "I did too." He said.

Tanisha took a step back and pressed a button on the wall. She kept her back turned to him. "Um...yeah."

Kajimoto couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed her arm. "Tanisha..."

Tanisha turned to him and her eyes widened when Kajimoto suddenly kissed her. She pushed him back as the gate's opened. Kajimoto looked at her, shocked.

"Um...I-I..." Tanisha shook her head. "I-I can't. I'm sorry." She turned and ran off.

"You're in love with Fuji, aren't you?"

She stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn around.

"Is that why you won't see me as more than a friend?" Kajimoto called over to her. He silently hoped she would answer. He needed to know whether or not he had a chance. "Because I can't keep on doing this." A slight note of desparation resounded in his voice. "I can't keep on liking you when I know that you have feelings for him."

Tanisha placed a hand over her mouth to keep a gasp from escaping her. Her shoulders racked with supressed sobs. "Takahisa-kun, I-I..."

"Please tell me the truth." Kajimoto said.

Tanisha looked back at him, tears running down her cheeks.

"Takahisa-kun, Fuji is..." She looked at him. Why couldn't she like Takahisa instead? Why does she have to...

"Fuji is everything to me."

At that she ran off crying, leaving a heart-broken Takahisa.

* * *

**A/N:** There!!! What do you think? I'm amazed at the drama here. Please review guys.

I'm in love with those plushies, particularly the Red Fox. Oh, and I know the whole tattoo history is long, but that's going to play a very important role.

See ya.

Rai

* * *


	17. Lost Without Each Other

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. I have news. I have updated two chapters at the same time which will more or less make up for the five days I'll be gone. Yup. Unfortunately, I'll be gone for FIVE whole days!!! It's Dad's birthday so we're going to go out on a trip. Where? I don't know. Seriously. They've been quiet about it so I really and truly do not know where my parents will take me and my older brother. I have a guess that we'll probably be far away from civilization and far away from computers, which means I won't be able to type or update. -sobs- 

Even though I'm gone, please read and review guys. It'll be something to look forward to as I say bye-bye to civilization.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (I've decided not to put in the lyrics, although I was planning on two songs that were just perfect for this. The problem was that the music didn't match the drama since the music was very enthusiastic.)

Lost Without Each Other by Hanson

Swing Swing by The All American Rejects

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 17: Lost Without Each Other**

**(Normal POV)**

Izumi smiled and walked down the almost empty hallway. One of the advantages about coming to school really early was having the freedom to go where ever you want, even to your senpai's room. She was already a familiar face to the senior crowd, seeing as she hung out a lot with Aki-senpai, Yumiko-senpai, Hiro-senpai and her cousin. Today was no different.

The sophomore walked down the hall and turned right. She opened the door with a smile and greeted. "Good morning...huh?" She looked around the room but none of her friends were there.

"Oh hey Izumi!!!"

Izumi bowed to her upperclassman. "Good morning Maki-senpai."

Maki smiled. "Are you looking for your cousin?"

Izumi nodded. "Yeah. She's usually here by now."

"Well..." She thought about it. "I think I saw her in the auditorium."

Izumi nodded. "Thank you. Um...have you seen Yumiko-senpai as well?"

Maki shook her head. "Nope."

"I think I saw her going up to the roof." Another senior said.

Izumi nodded. "Arigatou Maki-senpai, Hitomi-senpai."

Izumi walked off wondering what her cousin would be doing in the auditorium. It didn't take long for the younger Fujiwara to reach the auditorium. She pushed open the door and was startled at the slight darkness, the only light coming from the windows at the very top of the building. If her cousin really was here then she would have at least turned on the lights.

"Cousin?" Izumi called out. "Hey cous, are you here?"

No answer.

Izumi frowned, wondering what the heck her cousin was doing...then she heard soft music. She slowly and carefully made her way down the dark aisle. She was surprised to see her cousin sitting down in the middle of the stage with her guitar.

"Nami-chan!!!" Izumi ran up the stage, almost tripping several times, and crouched down beside her cousin. Nami had her eyes closed and was strumming her guitar.

Izumi poked her on the shoulder. "Na-"

"Shh..." Nami shushed her and continued her piece. After a while, she stopped. She opened her eyes and bent down. Izumi saw a music sheet in front of her cousin. Nami expertly wrote down the notes of her piece and strum a few bars on her guitar.

"Um...cousin," Izumi said as her cousin resumed playing. "What are you doing?"

"Playing." Nami said simply.

Izumi frowned. "Yeah...I can see that, but why here?"

"It's quiet."

Nami closed her eyes and was about to strum her guitar again. Izumi grabbed her wrist. Nami's ferocious glare was evident in the dim light, startling Izumi and making her let go. Nami closed her eyes again and started playing again. Izumi stood up and backed off a bit. She then ran down the stage, managing to trip, and ran out the auditorium.

* * *

"Mou...why would Yumiko-senpai go up to the roof?" Rin wondered to herself as she made her way up the stairs. 

She had gotten to school a little later than her usual early arrival, only to find out from Maki-senpai and Hitomi-senpai that Izumi went off to look for her cousin and that Yumiko-senpai was last seen going up to the rooftop. Seeing no other option, she decided to go on up and find out what her senpai was doing there. Yumiko-senpai was usually seen studying just before classes start.

Rin pushed open the door and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. She looked around and didn't see anybody around. "Hm? There's nobody here."

Rin turned around and was about to go down when she heard a noise. She walked around and saw her senpai lying down at the very back of the rooftop. She was stretched out and using her bag as a pillow. A hand was up to cover her eyes.

Afraid at what might have happened, Rin rushed to her senpai.

"Yumiko-senpai, Yumiko-senpai." She kneeled down and shook the older girl. "What happened?"

Yumiko removed her hand from over her eyes. "Hey Rin. Don't worry. I'm ok."

Rin sighed and sat down. "That's good. You really had me worried." Yumiko placed a hand over her eyes again and stayed silent. Rin looked at her, confused. "Yumiko-senpai, are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Yumiko said but didn't elaborate.

"Yumiko-senpai, what are you doing here anyway?" Rin asked.

"Trying to get away from everybody." She said.

Rin sighed and stood up. She backed off and ran down the steps.

* * *

Hiro was surprised when Rin and Izumi suddenly blocked him on his way to his classroom. 

"Izumi, Rin. I have to get to class." Hiro said and yawned.

"Something happened to Nami-chan, Hiro-senpai." Izumi said with a worried look.

"What?" Hiro was instantly awake.

"That's not all. Yumiko-senpai is isolating herself up at the rooftop." Rin said.

Hiro ran a hand through his hair. "Why? What happened to them both?"

"We don't know!!!" The two shouted at him.

"Fine...sheesh." Hiro held up his hands. He thought about it. "It can't be that time of the month, could it?"

Izumi looked at him surprised, but answered. "Um...I know for a fact that she's just finished."

Rin shook her head. "I don't know with Yumiko-senpai."

"She's finished." The three looked to see Tanisha approaching them.

"Hey Am-girl." Hiro said.

"Aki-senpai, something is wrong with Yumiko-senpai and Nami-senpai." Rin said.

Tanisha shrugged and pushed her way past them. "So? Everyone has problems." They watched her place her bag down at her desk and bury her face in her arms.

"Oh great!" Hiro threw his arms in the air. "First Nami-chan and Yumiko-chan, now it's Am-girl! How come all the girls I hang out with have permanent PMS?" Nami and Rin glared at him.

"What are we going to do?" Izumi asked. "School starts in 15 minutes."

"Izumi, you and I are going to get Nami. Rin, Yumiko's nice enough. It'll be easy for you to get her down. We'll handle Am-girl later."

* * *

It took 10 minutes for the three to do their mission. Nami was acting particularly stubborn, which prompted Hiro and Izumi to drag her off the stage, much to her annoyance. Rin had to repeatedly pull Yumiko along, as she was moving slowly as if she was tired. Hiro and Izumi managed to drag the screaming Nami to her room. Lucky for them that some of the teachers are still a bit weary to lecture them for their atrocious behavior. Rin had to lead Yumiko by the hand to her room, which coincidentally happened to be the same room as Nami and Tanisha. 

Nami pouted and sat down on her chair. She turned away from her cousin and Hiro and settled for doodling on her notebook. Yumiko sat down on her seat quietly but stared down at her lap blankly. Tanisha kept her face buried in her arms.

"We'll settle this at lunch." Hiro ran a hand through his hair as he looked at his depressed friends. "We'll meet at the back of the school."

The bell rang and everyone ran off to their designated classrooms.

* * *

"I said it once and I'll say it again. How come all the girls I hang out with have permanent PMS?" Hiro asked, only to receive a glare from all the girls. 

"I mean, you three have been acting really weird today." Hiro pointed at Nami, Tanisha and Yumiko. "Nami-chan had locked herself in the auditorium this morning and has been silent all through the day. Am-girl isn't her usual cheery self. Yumiko decided to take a nap up at the rooftop this morning and isn't in her motherly mood. What is wrong with you guys?"

"Nothing." The three girls said.

"Nothing my ass." Izumi said. "You've all been in a fog all day. Tell us what's wrong and we'll see if we can help. That's what friends are for." She didn't notice her cousin wince at that.

"Senpais..." Rin looked at the three. "What's wrong?"

The three looked at each other before looking away.

Hiro sighed. "At this rate we are never going to finish in time for our next class." He checked his watch. "We only have 45 minutes. Chop chop ladies." All the girls glared at him. "Sorry."

"You know, you should act compassionate." Nami said. "You don't even know what's going on."

"For all you know, it could be about you." Tanisha added.

"Ok, I'm sorry." Hiro said. "but I'm glad you're at least getting back to your old selves."

Nami and Tanisha gave him a weak smile, but Yumiko remained quiet. Rin noticed it.

"Yumiko-se-"

"I kissed him." Yumiko suddenly blurted out, only to gasp and place her hands over her mouth.

All the girls squealed while Hiro looked at her dumbfounded.

"Who?" They all asked.

Yumiko looked down at her lap and mumbled something under her breath. Everyone heard it.

"Holy mothe-"

"Izumi, stop cursing." Nami elbowed her cousin.

Tanisha faced her best friend. "What happened?"

"I-It was an accident. I didn't mean to kiss Tezuka." Yumiko said, looking slightly frantic. "I-It just happened."

Tanisha placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Woah. Calm down. Tell us what happened from the beginning."

"And don't leave out a single detail." Hiro added. Everyone looked at him. "What?"

"Should he be here?" Nami asked her friends. "He's a guy."

Tanisha pouted. "Well..."

"You're going to leave me out?" Hiro asked, looking hurt.

"I-I don't really mind." Yumiko said. "H-He can help."

"Ok. Now what happened?" Tanisha asked.

"Well...ano..." Yumiko took a deep breath. "Well, it happened yesterday just after tennis practice. I wanted to get home quickly before he sees me."

"Why?" Rin asked.

"He's already helped me out a lot. I wouldn't want to bother him again with my leg." Yumiko sighed and continued. "Anyway, no such luck. I bumped into him just as I passed the gates. He offered to take me home again and I said yes. Nothing much happened. We just talked and all that."

"Really?" Izumi looked at her. "You had an actual conversation with that rock?"

Yumiko looked at her. "He's not a rock."

Izumi sighed. "Oh yeah. Sorry. I forgot I was insulting your boyfriend."

Yumiko slipped into depressed mode again. Tanisha glared at Izumi. "Don't mind her Yumi-chan. Go on."

Yumiko nodded. "Well... when we reached the elevator, my leg's a lot more painful that time for some reason. Once we were at the front door of the apartment, I thanked him and then...it happened."

"What? What?" They asked.

Yumiko buried her face in her hands. "I felt a jolt of pain on my leg and I bit my lip because of the pain. Tezuka noticed it. He leaned down and held my hand and asked what was wrong. I told him I'm fine but then I accidentally placed too much weight on my leg. I jumped up and...and..." She blushed and couldn't go on.

"Bulls-eye!!! Right in the kisser!!!" Izumi shouted and giggled, making Yumiko groan.

Rin couldn't keep the smile from her face. "Um...it's ok Yumi-chan."

Yumiko's head shot up. "No, it's not ok! When that happened, I...he...we...sorta...I mean...it was..."

Nami gasped. "Oh my God!!! He kissed you back!!!" Yumiko's blush was the answer she needed. "And you kissed him back, right?!" Yumiko blushed deeper. "Was it good?"

Yumiko groaned. "Nami-chan!!!"

"Well, was it?" Nami pressed on.

Yumiko muttered. "Yeah."

Rin giggled while Nami and Izumi gave each other high-fives. Yumiko noticed that Hiro and Tanisha were unusually quiet.

"Um...Aki-chan, Hiro-kun?" She asked.

"Yumiko-chan..." Tanisha spoke in a weird sing-song voice. Yumiko gulped. "I have but one question."

Everyone looked at her curiously. They were surprised when Tanisha suddenly took hold of Yumiko's shoulders.

"Do you like Tezuka? As in like like? As in I-love-you like? In other words, do you love him? Answer me!!!"

Yumiko gasped and blushed harder than ever. "Aki-chan..."

Tanisha let go of her and looked at her closely. She then started muttering to herself.

Hiro looked at Yumiko seriously. "So? What's your answer?"

Yumiko blushed but gave a meek little nod. Rin, Nami and Izumi started giggling and talking.

Hiro on the other hand simply smiled. "I see. Then you don't have to worry about a thing."

"But-"

Hiro shook his head. "It's ok. If you like him that much, it isn't something to be ashamed or embarrassed about."

Tanisha snapped out of her muttering state and nodded. "That's right, even if it was an accidental kiss."

"But...what am I going to do?" Yumiko said. "It'll be embarrassing facing him."

"Well, he did kiss you back. That's a good sign." Nami said.

"Go for it." Izumi smiled. Rin nodded.

"If you want, I can talk to him for you." Tanisha offered.

Yumiko shook her head. "Thanks, but no. It might as well come from me anyway."

* * *

Fuji walked past the other students on his way to his locker. He had to get going to tennis practice or he'll be late. 

"Hiro-senpai, stop frowning." Fuji looked to see one of Tashi-chan's friends, Izumi, shouting at another one of Tashi-chan's friends, Hiro.

"It's not my fault we didn't get to finish our talk during lunch." Izumi was saying.

"I'm just worried." Hiro said. "We managed to find out what was troubling Yumiko-chan, but not Nami-chan and Am-girl."

Fuji opened his eyes. Tashi-chan had a problem? Then that would explain her weird mood today.

Fuji slammed his locker shut and walked off with his tennis bag over his shoulder. Well, it's not like he has anything to do with it. Tashi-chan's too busy dating that Jyosei guy.

Fuji headed out to the direction of the courts. On the way, he passed by the auditorium. As he walked, he tried to see if Tanisha was inside. He didn't notice someone in front of him until he bumped into her.

Speak of the devil. Fuji thought as he and Tanisha looked at each other.

Fuji smiled, as usual. "Hello Tashi-chan."

He noticed that she looked panicky and stressed out. "H-Hello Sho-kun." Her voice stuttered. What's more is that she called him Sho.

Something is wrong.

"Tashi-chan." Fuji was curious when Tanisha looked at him nervously. "Is something wrong?" He opened his eyes and looked at her worriedly.

She squeaked. "N-Nothing. Gotta go." She quickly ran off.

* * *

Fuji could hear the whispers. Usually he wouldn't mind them but the problem is what they're talking about. 

Tanisha and her date yesterday.

Fuji hit the tennis ball, sending it soaring past Oishi and Eiji. He took another ball from his pocket and hit it viciously. Eiji yelped and ducked down to avoid the insanely speeding ball. The freshman ran as a stray ball headed towards them.

"Fujiko-chan," Takashi placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him from serving another ball. "Calm down."

Fuji shrugged off Taka-san's hand and walked off the courts. He plopped down on a bench beside the brooding Tezuka.

"Calm down Fuji." Tezuka told him. "Ignore them."

Fuji ran a hand through his hair. "I'm trying, but so far it isn't working."

Tezuka glanced sideways at the troubled tensai and went back to his own thoughts. Fuji wondered what the buchou was thinking about. He was really out of it today. He hadn't given out his usual order of laps.

Fuji grabbed his water bottle and took a drink. Tezuka was one of the few people who knew about his deep attraction to his childhood friend. Sure everyone pegged them both as an ideal couple, but now everyone was busy talking about her relationship with that stupid Jyousei.

And frankly, it's irritating him...a lot.

"What do I do?" He muttered to himself.

"Either move on or confess." Tezuka suddenly spoke.

Fuji groaned. "The first one isn't really an option, and I don't agree with the second."

"Sometimes you are too competitive Fuji." Tezuka stood up and walked away.

* * *

Fuji dropped his tennis bag and leaned his head against his locker. The cool metal slightly soothed the inner war raging inside him. His usually cool visage had been broken and he had totally bombed practice today. All because of... 

He moved his head away from the locker and shook his head. No matter how angry he was, he could never blame Tanisha.

He could never ever blame her.

The door of the clubroom opened. Fuji was relieved to see that it was only Tezuka. The buchou gave him a nod and he walked over to his locker. He opened it and paused.

Fuji was amused to see Tezuka pull out a dragon plushie. "Who's it from?"

Tezuka pulled out an envelope. He read it and then handed it to Fuji. Fuji chuckled at what he read.

"Make peace with Yumi-chan or I swear you'll flat-line at the hospital. Aki"

Fuji handed back the envelope. "Now whatever did you do to make Tashi-chan threaten you?"

Tezuka kept quiet but he took the Dragon plushie. "Nothing." He placed the toy inside his tennis bag and walked out.

* * *

"Um...hi." Yumiko licked her lips as she looked down on the ground. 

Tezuka almost smiled at the obvious discomfort, but decided it would be disrespectful and mean. He reached into his tennis bag and pulled out the Dragon plushie and the envelope, which he handed to the uncomfortable girl.

Yumiko looked confused, but took it. She opened the envelope and giggled at the note. "Same old Aki-chan." She looked up at Tezuka. "I'm sorry about this. She even threatened you."

Tezuka shook his head. "It's fine."

"Wait." Yumiko reached into her own bag and pulled out the Spotted Owl plushie. She handed it to him. "Here."

Tezuka took it. "Aki?"

Yumiko nodded. "I feel weird about using Aki's own gift, but the thing is...I...I really want to apologize about...well...you know the-" Tezuka stepped forward with a smile. Yumiko couldn't look away.

"Don't apologize." Tezuka told her. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Yumiko blushed. "Because I surely do not regret it."

"Really?" Yumiko looked up. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Really." Tezuka nodded. "I better do this before I lose my nerve." Tezuka leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss. Yumiko tensed up, but then relaxed and allowed herself to fall into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Tezuka pulled her even closer to him. After a while, he pulled away, leaving them both breathless.

Yumiko licked her lips, still warm from the kiss. "I can't believe you of all people might actually lose your nerve over something."

Tezuka chuckled. "I do, when it comes to the one girl I've liked since freshman year."

"What?" Yumiko looked at him. "But we've never talked to each other, except now and-"

Tezuka swooped down and interrupted her. He felt Yumiko smile into the kiss.

* * *

Tanisha walked on home. Today has been nothing but a big mess. Ever since she slipped and admitted to Takahisa that she liked...fine, loved... Fuji, she's been nothing but a wreck. She didn't have a problem with Fuji before, but ever since she blurted out those words, she came to the realization that she really did love him... 

And that was bad.

She can't love Fuji. Seven years ago she swore an oath to herself that she wouldn't like him anymore, but here she was actually in love with him.

Damn.

Tanisha walked inside the door and threw her bag to one side.

"I'm home." She said. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen, grabbing a soda can from the refrigerator.

"I curse this day." Tanisha mumbled to herself as she sipped her soda.

"Akio, stop."

"What?" Tanisha's ears perked up at what she heard. She caught the sound of laughter. As if in a trance, Tanisha followed the sound which led her to the back of the house.

She froze at what she saw.

There was her father, sitting down on a two-seater chair and sipping champagne. Sitting down beside him was...

A woman.

What's more was that they were holding hands.

She watched with a growing feeling of dread as the woman leaned towards her father, a smile on her face.

Tanisha gasped and dropped the can in her hand. Akio and the woman jumped apart and both adults gasped when they saw her.

Akio stood up.

The woman beside him gasped. She stood up and stood beside him.

She was wearing a simple red dress that nonetheless showed elegance and refined status. She had long jet-black hair and deep brown eyes, but Tanisha wasn't looking at her. Instead, she was looking at their intertwined hands.

Akio stepped forward. "Tanisha-"

Tanisha turned around and ran.

* * *

**A/N:** There. I hope you guys know what "you'll flat-line at the hospital" means. It's a different way of saying "I'll kill you." 

Read the next chappie.

Rai

* * *


	18. Even For One Night

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. Here's the other chappie I updated which will more or less make up for the five days I'll be gone. I hope you like it. I have only noticed now that Tanisha's best friend and Fuji's older sister have the same name (Yumiko) and that Fuji's nickname is similar to the name of Yumiko's (Tanisha's best friend) older brother (Sho). I am such a scatter-brain.

Even though I'm gone, please read and review guys. It'll be something to look forward to as I say bye-bye to civilization.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 18: Even For One Night**

**(Normal POV)**

Fuji looked down at the silent figure in his arms and continued his previous activity of rubbing her lower back. To say he was shocked would be an understatement when he first saw the object of his affections and the subject of his thoughts standing outside his house.

He can still remember what happened.

(Flashback...)

_Fuji yawned and was about to crash into his warm bed when he heard his phone ringing._

_"Hello?"_

_"Sho-kun?" Somebody sobbed from the other line._

_Fuji almost dropped the phone. "Tashi-chan?"_

_A sob came through from the other side. Fuji could vaguely hear gasps of breaths._

_"Tashi-chan? What's wrong?" Fuji asked. A feeling of worry creeping into his senses._

_"Outside."_

_Fuji was confused at first but then pushed back the curtains of the window. He dropped his phone when he saw Tanisha outside the gates, alone and obviously crying._

_Fuji turned away from the window and ran down the steps. He pulled the door open and quickly unbolted the gates. Once the gates were open, Tanisha threw herself onto the tensai. Fuji wrapped his arms around her._

_"Tashi-chan, what's wrong? Tell me." Fuji said in-between the girl's sobs._

_Tanisha shook her head against Fuji's chest. "No no no. It can't be." She kept on muttering._

_Fuji noticed that she was still wearing her uniform and wasn't bringing anything._

_"Tashi-chan," Fuji pushed her away just enough for him to see her face. "Did you run away?"_

_Tanisha nodded. She then latched herself onto him again and continued crying._

_"Ok." Fuji picked her up and carried her bridal style inside the house._

(Flashback ends...)

Fuji snapped out of his thoughts when his bedroom door opened, revealing his siblings. Yumiko came in carrying a fresh change of clothes, while Yuuta trailed behind her.

"How is she?" Yuuta asked as he looked at his aniki, who was sitting on his bed with Tanisha in his arms.

"She calmed down." Fuji said. "Tashi-chan, you ok?"

Tanisha nodded, but kept her face buried against his chest.

Yumiko sat down beside Fuji and placed a hand on Tanisha's shoulder. "Sweetie." Tanisha looked at her through her messy hair. "Let's get you changed. Come on."

Fuji was a little sad when Tanisha let go of him, but he patted her on the shoulder. "Go on." Tanisha stood up from his lap and let Yumiko guide her to the bathroom.

Yuuta sighed when the two girls disappeared. "Any luck trying to find out what happened, aniki?"

Fuji shook his head. "None, but I believe that it has something to do with Akio-sama, seeing as Tashi-chan ran away."

Yuuta leaned against the wall. "What are we going to do with Tanisha-neechan then?"

Fuji shrugged. "Let her sleep over, I guess. Yuuta, I have a favor to ask."

Yuuta raised an eyebrow curiously. "What is it aniki?"

Fuji opened his eyes and looked at him seriously. "Let Tashi-chan sleep on your bed and I'll gladly let you sleep in mine, even if I have to sleep on the couch."

Yuuta was surprised. "Why can't you let her sleep on your bed?"

Fuji looked down. "I don't know what effect it will have on me if I keep picturing Tashi-chan on my bed. I'll probably have sleepless night."

Yuuta looked down at his brother, feeling a little sorry for him. Fuji was so hung up on Tanisha that Yuuta couldn't help but agree to help. He opened his mouth ready to agree, when Yumiko walked back into the room. Tanisha followed after her wearing an over-sized red shirt and blue shorts. Tanisha sat down beside Fuji and leaned against him, her face blank. Fuji automatically placed an arm around her shoulders, not noticing the looks Yuuta and Yumiko gave each other.

"So? What are we going to do?" Yuuta asked.

"Well," Yumiko thought about it. "Maybe we should call Akio-sama and-"

"NO!!!"

All three Fujis jumped up in surprise and looked at the alarmed redhead.

"But Tanisha he'll worry." Yumiko tried to say, but Tanisha clung to Fuji and started shaking her head vigorously.

"He's probably busy with his new lover." Tanisha muttered. The three Fujis were surprised.

Yuuta spoke up. "He has a-" Yumiko quickly slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Ah, I see." Yumiko nodded. She pushed Yuuta out the door. "We understand. Should I ready the guest room for you?"

Tanisha looked up at Fuji, a pleading look on her face. Fuji sighed, not being able to resist. "She can stay here, neechan." Yumiko nodded and left with Yuuta.

Fuji gently pushed Tanisha down on the bed. "Come on. It's late. We still have school tomorrow."

Tanisha lied down and sank underneath the sheets. Fuji brought the overs up to her chin. He turned around, ready to leave, when Tanisha grabbed his hand.

"Don't go." She whispered.

Fuji was sorely tempted not to leave, but he didn't know how long it will take before his self-control slips. He was already having difficulty stopping himself from kissing the vulnerable girl, but to actually stay close to her... Tanisha didn't know it but she was practically asking him to ravish her by making him stay with her.

"Sho-kun, please." She pleaded, looking up at him with tired and lonely eyes.

Before Fuji could stop himself, he turned off the lamp on his bedside table and lied down beside her. Tanisha immediately snuggled closer to him.

"Thank you." She closed her eyes and was immediately asleep.

Fuji looked at her before wrapping his arms around her. He knew it was only for tonight, but maybe...maybe he can fool himself into believing that she wants him... just for tonight. He could pretend that she's his and only his.

Even if it was for one night.

* * *

Rain.

That was the first thing that entered Tanisha's mind as she opened her eyes. She lifted a hand to rub her eyes and yawned. Then in an instant, the memories of last night came back to her. She covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping as she remembered her father with another woman.

She placed a hand over her heart. It was painful. Her heart was aching.

She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the raindrops against the roof. It soothed her aching heart, slightly...but only slightly.

She took a deep breath, but the pain still remained. Her thoughts turned to what happened last night. She then realized where she was. She sat up and looked around.

She was in Fuji's room, in Fuji's bed.

She felt an ache in her chest and brought her knees to her chest. She cried. It was painful. She needed him. She needed him now.

She needed Fuji.

"Tashi-chan?"

She looked up. She saw Fuji coming in through the door. He looked at her worriedly.

"Sho-kun?" Tanisha said.

Fuji sat down beside her. He thumbed away the tears.

"Are you ok?" He asked. His blue eyes shone with worry.

Tanisha took his hand and held it. "Yeah, you're here now. I'm fine."

Fuji gave her a warm smile and rubbed her cheek.

"Do you want to eat?" Fuji said. "We don't have school due to rain, so you can take it easy." Tanisha nodded but kept quiet, making Fuji frown. "You should eat. It'll make you stronger."

Tanisha sighed. "It wouldn't take away the pain."

Fuji sat down cross-legged and looked at her. "What happened?"

Tanisha sighed again. She leaned against him and told him everything.

"When I got home last night, I saw Dad holding hands with some woman. I ran off to get away, but..."

(Flashback...)

_Tanisha turned around and ran._

_She flung open the door and walked outside, only for someone to grab her arm._

_"Let me-Izabel?" Her eyes widened._

_"Aki please,"Izabel begged her. "Talk to your father-"_

_Tanisha pulled her arm away and took a step back. "You knew about all this?"_

_Izabel stepped forward. "Aki, go back i-"_

_"You knew all about this?!" Tanisha demanded of her._

_Izabel sighed. "I did but-"_

_"How long has this been going on?!" Tanisha asked her. "How long?! Answer me Izabel!!!"_

_"Almost a year, but- Aki!!!" Izabel shouted as the young girl ran off._

_Tanisha ran down the block. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she's as far away from the mansion as possible._

_"Aki? What are you doing here?"_

_Tanisha looked around to see the entire Hyotei team coming out of a nearby restaurant._

_"Aki?" Atobe walked towards her. "What's wrong?"_

_Tanisha took a step away from him. "How long have you known about it?"_

_"About what?" Gakuto and the team walked towards her._

_Tanisha ignored him and kept her eyes on Atobe, who looked surprised. "Tell me Keigo. You knew about them, didn't you? About Dad and her?"_

_The Hyoutei team was surprised when their captain flinched. Tanisha's eyes widened._

_"You knew about it?!" She shouted at him. She turned around, ready to run off, when Atobe grabbed her._

_"Aki wait." Atobe held her arms tightly. "You-" Tanisha turned to him._

_The Hyotei team was shocked when Tanisha suddenly slapped Atobe across the face._

(Flashback ends...)

"Then I ran here." Tanisha finished.

Fuji smiled sadly at her and held her hand. "Who was she anyway?"

Tanisha flinched, and Fuji quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Atobe's godmother, Yasui Sarina. I know her. She's our doctor here in Japan. Her husband died about three years ago."

Fuji looked down at her. Tanisha slipped into a silent and depressed mood. "Come on. Let's go downstairs and eat. Neechan made waffles. We know you like that."

Tanisha smiled up at him. "Sure. Thank you."

* * *

Tanisha bit into her waffles. She was thankful that the Fujis were very hospitable and that Yumiko actually took the time to make her waffles. She was even more thankful that all three siblings never once brought up the topic of why she was here in the first place.

"Where are your parents?" Tanisha asked.

Yuuta, who had already wolfed down his food and was waiting for seconds, answered. "They're out of town for the week."

Tanisha nodded. "I see. Do you have tennis practice today?"

He shook his head. "Nope." He smiled as Yumiko gave him his second plate of waffles.

"How about you, Sho-kun?"

Fuji shook his head. "Tezuka canceled as well."

_DING DONG...DING DONG..._

"I'll get it." Yumiko walked off while wiping her hands on her apron.

Tanisha bit into her food.

"Are you a friend of hers?" Yumiko's voice floated to the kitchen.

Yuuta, Fuji and Tanisha looked at each other. They all stood up and took a peek at the living room. Yumiko was talking to someone on the door.

"Um...yes." A familiar voice reached Tanisha's ears despite the strong pouring rain outside.

"Yumi-chan?" Tanisha walked into the living room. She peeked out from behind Yumiko and saw her best friend.

"Yumi-chan!!!" Tanisha almost hugged the other girl, except she was slightly wet.

Yumi-chan looked relieved. "Aki-chan, I knew you'd be here."

* * *

"What happened? Why are you here?" Tanisha asked her best friend. They were both in the living room with Fuji. Yumiko and Yuuta had left, leaving the three of them to talk.

Yumiko looked at her. "I should be asking you that. What happened to you? I called your house this morning to tell you that school was canceled but Izabel said you were missing. I went here instantly because I knew you'd most likely be here."

Tanisha sighed. "I'm fine. I just...had a fight with Dad."

Yumiko looked as if she was about to press the issue more. Fuji intercepted her. "Did you tell them that Tashi-chan is here?"

Yumiko shook her head. "Nope. Based on Izabel's reaction, I assumed it was something big."

"Thank you." Tanisha sighed and leaned against Fuji, who was sitting beside her. Yumiko raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

_DING DONG...DING DONG..._

Fuji stood up and opened the door.

"Where's my daughter?"

* * *

**A/N:** There guys. That's the end (for 5 days anyway.) I'll miss you guys!!! I promise I'll be back before you know it!!!

Rai

* * *


	19. Liar Liar

* * *

**A/N:** Guys, I am so sorry I was gone a little longer than the time I told you. A lot of things happened here to me, like the trip to nowhere (I'd rather not talk about it), a huge family problem and the fact that my computer had to be reformatted making me lose all my files. I had to completely write this chapter from scratch. Sorry guys.

I'm happy that when I was finally able to check my account, a lot of reviews greeted me which totally made my day. Thank you so much. I hope you like this one.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 19: Liar Liar  
**

**(Normal POV)**

"You mean Aki-senpai's Dad has a girlfriend?" Rin asked as she, Izumi and Hiro looked at Yumiko in surprise.

"Seriously?" Izumi asked.

Yumiko nodded and looked outside the restaurant's window at the pouring rain. "Yeah."

"So Am-girl stayed over at Fuji-senpai's house, right?" Hiro asked. He leaned back on his seat. "I wonder if anything happened between them."

Izumi punched him on the arm. "Stop thinking like that Hiro-senpai."

Hiro rubbed his arm. "Ow. I was just kidding."

"Where is she now?" Rin asked.

Yumiko shrugged. "Well, when her father came, he dragged her to the car himself. I expect he's trying to get her to talk to him by now."

* * *

Tanisha didn't bother wiping the frown from her face and kept her gaze solely on the carpet. First her Dad brought home some unwanted woman, then he barged into the Fuji household, then he bodily dragged her home and now he's forcing her to talk to him.

This is just so wrong.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you." She said as she sat stiffly on the high-backed chair of her father's home office.

"Dear, don't do this." Akio sighed.

Tanisha kept quiet but reacted by placing her hands over her ears.

Akio sighed. He won't be able to get his daughter to talk, much less listen, to him when she's in this stubborn mood.

"Tanisha, I am confining you to this mansion until you come to your senses." He said.

Tanisha removed her hands from her ears. "That's a lot coming from someone who's being led around the nose by a woman. When you come to your senses that's the time you can order me around."

"Tanisha." Akio took a deep breath to control his anger. "I am trying to be very patient right now. It is understandable for you to be angry, but you are acting like a spoiled brat."

Tanisha rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Akio sighed. "Go to your room. We will talk later."

Tanisha stood up and left the room, anger radiating from her.

Akio sighed and leaned back against his seat. A little while later, he heard the door open. He didn't bother looking up to see who it was.

"Did you think I was too hard on her?" He asked.

"A little." Fuji admitted and sat down on the chair Tanisha had previously vacated. "She does have every right to be angry Akio-sama, if you don't mind me saying so."

Akio shook his head. "You're right. It's just..." He buried his head in his hands. "Tanisha can be very stubborn. If she doesn't like something, she will convince herself until the end that she doesn't like it and that it won't do her no good."

Fuji nodded and smiled sadly. "I know that side very well."

Akio smiled. "I know you do. I admit that you know her better than I do." He reached out a hand to Fuji. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter last night, Syuusuke."

Fuji shook his hand. "It was nothing. I was more than happy to help her." The tensai then stood up. "I should probably go talk to her right now. I hope I can convince her to talk to you."

"I feel the same way. Thank you for helping Syuusuke." Akio nodded as Fuji headed out the door. Just as he reached the door, Akio spoke up. "I appreciate it that you told me last night about Tanisha going to your house. With the way she's been acting around you, I actually did not expect her to run to you."

Fuji turned back to him. "Believe me Akio-sama, I was just as surprised as you. But please do not mention to Tanisha about me tipping you off. She won't be as appreciative as you."

"Of course."

Fuji bowed to the older man and walked out of the room.

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Yumiko took a deep breath. "Momoshiro, as in Momoshiro Takeshi, kissed you last night."

"Yeah, he did." Izumi said plainly.

"Well, why do you seem so...blank, like nothing happened?" Rin asked her friend.

"Because he kissed me the moment Ann saw us together." Izumi shrugged.

"Ooohh, that's bad." Hiro said.

Izumi glared at him. "You think?"

"So he just did it to make Ann jealous." Rin said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah." Izumi said and sipped her drink.

"So?" Yumiko looked at her. "What are you going to do?"

Izumi looked out the window. "Nothing. Why should I do anything? He is nothing but a bastard anyway."

"Ok, so does that mean you want me to go?"

All four turned to see the topic of their conversation.

* * *

"My life sucks right now." Tanisha said from her bed as she rolled onto her stomach.

"I know." Fuji answered from a chair across the bed. The light-haired tensai was busy fiddling with a laptop.

"Yeah." Tanisha looked at him. "And you just keep on smiling like an idiot and let me complain about how my life sucks. Can't you be a little supportive?"

Fuji shook his head but didn't look up from the screen. "I can't. No can do."

Tanisha sat up and looked at him, confused. "Why not?"

Fuji sighed but kept on typing on his computer. "Because, number one, I'm not your boyfriend, number two, I am not your best friend. I'm not even your friend. I'm only the guy who allowed you to sleep on my bed and comforted you all through the night."

Tanisha glared at him. " I so hate your sarcasm, or better yet, I hate you." She lied down on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

Tanisha could feel Fuji looking at her. "I know you hate me. I'm stupid, because it is stupid to fall for the one person who hates you..." Fuji took a deep breath. "But I don't care. You can call me stupid if you like but I'm not backing out on you."

Tanisha sat up and looked at him seriously. "Why? Why can't you just get it into your thick head that I-"

"Because of last night." Fuji interrupted. "When you ran to me, I felt it. I felt like there's the slightest chance for you and me. And since there's that chance, no matter how small, I'm not giving up on you." He gave her a small smile and turned back to the laptop. "Now, let's talk about you and your problem with your Dad."

* * *

"Woah." Hiro said as he, Yumiko and Rin watched Momoshiro and Izumi talking. The two were seated in the corner and were talking heatedly. "It doesn't look like it's going well."

"Way to state the obvious Hiro." Yumiko said.

They watched as Momoshiro tried to talk, but Izumi kept butting in.

"How are they going to understand each other if they don't let one after the other talk?" Rin asked, or more like shouted since Momoshiro and Izumi both stopped talking and turned back to stare at her. Rin motioned for both of them to get back to their own business. The two started talking, this time more calmly.

"Smooth Rin." Yumiko nodded to the other girl.

Rin smiled smugly. "I know."

"If I have to guess," Hiro watched Momo and Izumi talking. "I say they aren't getting back together."

"Well, I say they will." Rin said. "Wanna bet?"

Yumiko smiled and looked out the window. What she saw made her knock over her drink. Luckily, Hiro and Rin didn't notice since they were too busy betting on Momo and Izumi. Yumiko quickly wiped it off and stood up.

"Um...guys, I'll be back in a sec. Lend me your umbrella Rin."

"Sure." The two said.

Yumiko grabbed the umbrella walked out the door to the pouring rain. She started walking quickly towards the direction of a certain Fujiwara Nami... who was in the arms of Takahisa Kajimoto.

* * *

"Ok, this is crazy." Tanisha said from her bed.

"Come on." Fuji said, trying to keep the smile from his face. "I'm the shrink and you are my lovely patient."

Tanisha glared at him. "If you're the shrink then that means I'm the insane mental patient. And I am not insane or mental."

"Tashi-chan, you are all dark and twisty inside. Let me help you." Fuji said. He turned back to the laptop for a brief moment.

"What the heck is so interesting in that laptop?" Tanisha glared.

Fuji typed in a few keys. "It's Internet-connected. What else is interesting? Now, how do you feel?"

Tanisha sighed. "I feel dark and twisty inside."

"And why is that?"

"Because I want to kill that woman who's all over my Dad. I want to kill my Dad. I want to kill Atobe. I want to kill my shrink. Heck, I want to kill everyone." Tanisha said angrily.

"Ok. You're telling me your feelings that's good progress." Fuji smiled, amused. "Now, I-"

_BRING...BRING..._

Fuji pulled out his phone from his pocket. He stood up. "I have to take this. Excuse me." Fuji placed down the laptop walked out of the room.

Once Fuji was out of the room, Tanisha stood up and looked at the laptop. He was logged on to his e-mail account and a message was being composed.

_Inui,_

_I can't say I was surprised to receive this from you. What I am surprised at is that you received this from Echizen, of all people-_

It stopped there.

"Eh?" Tanisha went to the Inbox and opened the mail labeled 'For Fuji's eyes only'. Once she opened it she gasped. There were pictures. (1) Dozens and dozens of pictures of...her. Tanisha scrolled down and once she reached the bottom part, she was near hysterical. There it was, about two dozen pictures of her Dad...with that woman, Sarina. One particular picture caught her attention. She opened it and almost dropped the laptop at what she saw.

Fuji's voice floated into the room, breaking her out of her daze. She quickly took out her phone and connected it to the laptop. After a few seconds, she managed to copy the picture onto her phone. When Fuji came back into the room, Tanisha was back on her bed.

"Shall we continue?" Fuji asked. He looked at his laptop and started typing away. "So what else do you feel?"

"I feel...like everyone's nothing but a big liar."

* * *

Nami laughed as she and her companion walked down the block, despite the rain.

"You love the rain, don't you?" Takahisa said as he guided her past the puddles.

Nami smiled at him. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yeah, so painfully obvious at how much you're enjoying yourself!!!"

The two turned around to see a slightly wet and very furious Yumiko.

"Yumiko-chan." Nami's eyes widened.

"Yeah, it's me." Yumiko glared at her a bit. "Let's talk shall we?" She grabbed Nami by the arm and dragged her off.

"Wait a sec, ok Takahisa-kun." Nami called out. She received a nod.

Once they turned the corner, Yumiko let go of her and looked at her angrily.

"I can't believe you!!! You're going out with Takahisa behind Aki's back!!!" Yumiko hissed.

Nami placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "I know it looks bad, but there's a reason behind all this."

Yumiko shrugged off the hands and glared at her. "Oh really? I'd like to hear this excuse."

Nami took a deep breath. "Takahisa and Aki broke up just a few days ago."

Yumiko looked surprised. "You mean, they were together?"

"No. He had feelings for her, but she confessed that she loved Fuji." Nami said softly.

"When did they technically break up?" Yumiko asked.

"Two days ago." Nami said quietly.

"What?!" Yumiko's anger flared up. "You-You're acting as rebound girl?! I can't believe y-"

"I'm in love with him." Nami gasped out. Yumiko was speechless. Nami took it as a sign to continue. "I know it is wrong. I know I'm acting as rebound girl, but I don't care." Yumiko turned around and started walking away.

"And now you're angry at me." Nami shouted after her, making her stop. "Why is it that Aki has to have everything? She's smart and pretty and everyone likes her. Every. One. She already has Fuji. Damn it, she even has you and everyone else siding with her and rooting for her. Why can't I have what I want for once? Why does it always have to be about her? Why am I the villain here just because I fell in love with him?"

"I honestly do not know what to say." Yumiko looked back at her and said quietly. "All I know is that it's your choice. You can go with him, lose Aki's friendship and possibly end up with a broken heart. Or you can leave him, save your friendship with her and, most importantly, save yourself from the prospect that he might just be using you."

Nami let out a low hollow laugh. "I don't care if he's using me to make Aki jealous or whatever. It might be a slim chance but I choose to go with him, pray for Aki to understand and possibly find happily ever after, even if it means pretending to be Aki for Takahisa's sake."

Yumiko turned around. "No one ever finds happily ever after. That's just in fairy tales."

* * *

**A/N:** There. I hope that makes up for me being gone. Sorry again guys.

(1) Remember that in Chapter 15, Ryoma was snapping Aki's pictures with Sakuno's camera phone.

Please review guys.

Rai

* * *


	20. Trouble In The Horizon

* * *

**A/N:** Hey. Thanks a lot everyone. I'm happy that a lot of people are happy to see me back. I'm happy to be able to write again after a few days away from my computer. 

I just want to give you guys a heads-up and tell you that school's going to start, for me that is. Our school year starts from June up to March, so for me school's about to start, specifically on June 4. I won't stop writing and I will continue updating, but it's going to be less frequent. I'm trying to update as much as I can before June 4. I still haven't planned the number of chapters, but I have already planned all that's happening, so everything just pretty much flows.

Thanks to those who reviewed and read the last chapter. Thanks also to those who read my other POT story "It's Our Time". To those of you who read it, I'll update that story as soon as I can.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 20: Trouble In The Horizon**

**(Normal POV)**

"Ok...What's the problem this time?" Izumi looked at her friends. Nami and Yumiko weren't talking to each other, or more like Nami was trying but Yumiko kept ignoring her. Tanisha was understandably in a bad mood, due to her father. In short, the three were once again in a bad mood.

"Nothing." The three answered, or more like Nami whispered, Yumiko snapped and Tanisha grunted.

"Hey, you guys heard?" Hiro spoke up. "Izumi and Momo are together."

The three merely shrugged as Izumi knocked Hiro on the head. "Now, why did you go and say that?"

Hiro rubbed his head. "I was just trying to cheer them up."

"And telling them that is going to cheer them up?" Izumi glared at him.

"I didn't know what else to say." Hiro mumbled.

Rin looked at her three senpais worriedly. They were eating their lunches but it looked as if they didn't even care what they were eating as they do something. "Senpais, are you ok? What's the problem again this time?"

Yumiko simply stood up, grabbed her bag and exited the cafeteria. Nami watched her friend walk away. She then mumbled something about practicing her guitar and walked off in a daze. Tanisha simply sat there, looking blank.

"I can't believe this." Hiro slapped his palm on his forehead. "This is ridiculous. They don't expect us to just always come after them when they have problems." Hiro stood up and walked away.

Izumi sighed before leaving as well. "I need to go clear my head, Rin." She called over her shoulder.

Rin sighed and looked at Tanisha who looked blank. "It's just you and me, Aki-senpai."

Tanisha buried her face in her arms. "Life sucks."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Yumiko went to the library and hid herself among the rows and rows of books. She wandered off to the very back of the library and sat down, leaning against the shelf. 

"This whole thing is so stupid." Yumiko said as she grabbed a random book from the shelf behind her and started flipping the pages. "Why does she have to be with him? It's so stupid." She placed the book to one side, grabbed another book and skimmed through it as well. "Does she really want to get a broken heart? Then, she's stupid." She tossed the book away and grabbed another. She started flipping through them violently.

"You're in a bad mood."

Yumiko looked up and smiled softly. "Hey."

Tezuka sat down beside her and grabbed the book with its slightly mangled and ruined pages from her. The Seigaku buchou started turning page after page and tried to fix the damage Yumiko had done.

After a moment's silence, Tezuka asked. "Is something wrong?"

Yumiko huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm just in a bad mood, that's all."

Tezuka put down the book momentarily and placed a hand over her own. "Yumi, what's wrong?"

Yumiko's anger disappeared until all that's left is confusion and uneasiness. She looked up at Tezuka. "Mitsu, I don't know what to do."

Tezuka ran a hand through her hair to soothe her, the book forgotten. "About what?"

After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Yumiko spoke. "There's this girl who is going out with this guy. The girl dumps the guy because she had feelings for someone else. Then one day, specifically two days later, the girl's friend starts going out with this guy behind the girl's back." Yumiko paused and took a deep breath. "If you knew about this, what would you do? Tell the girl or keep it a secret?"

Tezuka thought about it. "Well, if it were me I would stay out of this...but there's also the option of telling the second girl to talk to the first girl first."

Yumiko shook her head. "What if the second girl says that she loves the guy? And that she's willing to lose the first girl's friendship as long as she stays with the guy?"

Tezuka kept quiet before saying. "Yumi, it's a very difficult situation you are in."

Yumiko pretended to act surprised. "Me? I'm not-" She sighed at Tezuka's gaze. "Ok. Fine. It was me. I found out about it yesterday. What do I do, Mitsu?"

Tezuka held her close and looked down at her. "The only thing you can do is to stay neutral. You can't choose between them because if you do you will lose one of them."

Yumiko buried her face in his chest. "But if I stay neutral, won't I lose both of them? And the thing is...I sort of think that Na- I mean, the second girl is the one at fault..."

Tezuka looked down at her fondly. "If she does love this guy, well...you can't really choose who you fall in love with. Sometimes you end up doing desperate things just to be with them, no matter what the cost." He looked at Yumiko and gave her a genuine smile. "I'm just lucky I ended up with the one I love."

Yumiko blushed and smiled before wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you for everything, Mitsu. I think I know what to do."

* * *

Izumi walked out of the library silently, her head still spinning from what she heard. She knew without a doubt that Yumiko was talking about Nami and Aki. They're the only people who are acting really troubled these past few days. Izumi thought about it. If Yumiko saw Nami with some guy yesterday, and three days ago Aki was with... 

Izumi paused and her eyes widened. It was Kajimoto Takahisa.

Then that means, Aki dumped Takahisa and now her cousin is in love with him.

"This is bad." Izumi said to herself.

She can't believe her cousin would go that low to be with someone, to act as a rebound girl, especially with someone who her friend just dumped. She also couldn't believe that Aki would be act all cozy with someone and just dump them, during the first date nonetheless!!!

Her cousin's desperate, Aki's a spoiled brat and Yumiko's in-between.

Izumi frowned, her thoughts whirling around her head. She snapped out of her daze when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Izu-chan?" Momoshiro looked at her worriedly. "You ok?"

Izumi nodded with a small smile. "Hey Takeshi, I'm fine...I think."

"You think?" Momo held her hand and walked beside her. "Are you still angry with me?"

"Yup." Izumi teased.

Momo pouted. "I already told you I'm sorry. Izu-chan, I'm really really sorry. I wasn't trying to make Ann jealous. She just happened to walk up when I ki-"

Izumi placed a finger over his lips and smiled. "I was just kidding, Takeshi." She smiled and pulled away. "It's not you. I'm just...having problems with my friends and my cousin."

Momo's head tilted to the side adorably. "Well, will a date later after school make you feel better?"

Izumi smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it will." She pulled her hand away. "I'd better go. See ya." She kissed him quickly on the cheek and walked off.

Once she turned the corner, Izumi's smile dropped. She was happy to be with Momo, but with everything that's happening with her friends...

Izumi shook her head. There isn't anything she can do about it for now. All she can do now is keep it a secret that she knows.

* * *

"You want what?" Hiro looked at the girl in front of him in surprise, who had confronted him as soon as school let out. 

"I said I want you to come with me to the hospital." Tanisha said again, seriously.

"Um...well, I'd love to help you, but...I mean, why are you going there?" Hiro asked.

"Nami said that she, Rin, Ryoma and few other people were locked up by Inui and Renji in the darkroom and..." Tanisha sighed in frustration and took her phone out of her pocket. She pressed a few keys and almost shoved it into Hiro's face. He looked at it and paled. "See, that's why I want you to come. I have to confront that goody-goody Sarina who's after my Dad. Dad has a check-up scheduled for today so he'll be there just in time to answer my question."

Hiro gulped. "Well...ok. Just..." He edged away a little. "Just let me go to the bathroom." He turned away.

"Ok, but hurry up. If we don't leave now, we might not catch Dad with that gold-digger." Tanisha huffed.

Hiro walked off. Once he turned the corner, he pulled out his phone and called someone.

"It's Hiro. Get everyone that matters and head to the hospital. There's going to be trouble with Am-girl."

* * *

**A/N:** There. That's my 20th chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one. 

Please read and review.

Rai

* * *


	21. More And More Trouble

* * *

**A/N:** Hello. Here's another chapter for everyone. I'm not feeling well today. I feel woozy and I feel like I'm going to die...but after an hour of lying in bed and feeling sorry for myself, I went to my computer and here I am typing up my next chapter. Don't tell my mom, ok? 

Thanks to those who reviewed. This is dedicated to all my fellow Filipinos, namely **riknata **and **bLoodY vEngEfUl sOul **also to **itachi-sama a.k.a cathrun**. Or better yet, this is for everyone.

Also to **imafangirl, **who was the first one to ask about the other side pairings in "The Party of the Century" mini-series, some of the side pairings in the mini-series are going to appear, as well as everybody else. I've been planning for them to appear, you just happened to ask at the right time.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 21: More And More Trouble**

**(Normal POV)**

"Am-girl, maybe you should calm down first before you barge in there." Hiro tried to say to his friend. They were both standing in the hospital's parking lot and were arguing.

"Hiro, my Dad is supposedly being 'examined' by that Sarina." Tanisha said, stressing the word examined. "God knows what they're actually doing in there."

"O-K." Hiro grabbed her arm. "Am-girl, you cannot barge into a hospital. You can't have an argument inside a hospital, you know. It's just not done. There are a lot of sick people there."

"So?" Tanisha glared. "They're all gonna die anyway, today, tonight, next week, in fifty years. Everyone's going to die sooner or later."

"A-Aki...chan..."

Tanisha and Hiro whirled around to see a heavily panting Yumiko.

"Yumi-chan?" Tanisha went to her friend. "What are you doing here?"

Yumiko took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I came after you. Whatever you do, Aki-chan, do not cause a scene in the hospital."

"How did y-" Tanisha paused and glared at Hiro. "You told her?!"

"We're here. Where's the trouble?"

Tanisha's jaw dropped when Nami, Izumi and Rin ran to them.

"Aki-senpai." Rin heaved and placed her hands on her knees as she tried to breathe.

"Do not make trouble here of all places Am-girl." Nami lectured, a little breathless. "A hospital is like, it's sacred."

"Plus, you better be glad we came here to stop you from making a fool of yourself." Izumi said. "I had to break a date just to get here."

Tanisha looked at all of them, then at Hiro. "Hiro, I am going to kill you!!!"

Hiro grabbed her arm and Yumiko grabbed her other arm. "Do it later. Now, if you don't come with us, we are going to drag you away from here. Do not make trouble." He said.

"Aki-chan, a picture tells a thousand words, but do not jump to conclusions." Nami said.

"Wait, you told them about the picture?!"

"I had to." Hiro said, as he and Yumiko started pulling her away from the direction of the hospital.

"Let me go!!!" Tanisha struggled against their grip.

"Stop struggling, Aki-senpai." Izumi said. "Just let us get you home."

"Tashi-chan!!!"

"Huh? Sho-kun?" Tanisha and friends watched as Fuji headed towards them.

"HIRO!!!" Tanisha pulled her arm free and grabbed Hiro's collar. "You told Fuji?!"

"But I didn't!!!" Hiro wailed. "I only called Yumiko, Rin and then Nami!!!"

"Then what is he doing here?!" Tanisha hissed.

"I called Fuji, ok?" Yumiko admitted. "If anybody could convince you to leave, it's him."

"Tashi-chan," Fuji walked over to the redhead. "Do not do anything rash."

"Rash?!" Tanisha shouted. "That doctor is in there with my Dad!!! She-" 

"Tashi-chan," Fuji looked at her seriously. "Calm down. Please. A picture is not worth losing your head over."

"What picture, aniki?" Yuuta appeared hand-in-hand with June.

"Hello June." Fuji greeted.

"Hey Fuji-san." June bowed a bit.

"What are you two doing here?" Rin asked.

"My grandmother is admitted here." June explained. "Yuuta-kun was escorting me here."

"Anyway, what's happening here?" Yuuta asked.

"Nothing." Everybody answered.

"Right..." The couple looked at them disbelievingly.

"Anyway, I'm going inside the hospital and no one is going to stop me!!! I am going to stop that gold-digger Yasui Sarina from doing God knows what to my Dad!!!" She tried to walk off, but everyone stopped her Rin and Yumiko tried to calm her down and Fuji, Hiro and Nami tried to stop her from going inside.

* * *

"Should we walk away like we don't know them?" Yuuta asked. 

"Yup." June and Yuuta walked away.

"Seriously, my senpais and classmates are weird." June sighed.

"You're only noticed now?" Yuuta asked with a sigh.

"Whatever. Now come on." June pulled on his arm and led him to the nurse's station. "I'm here to see Kobayashi Junko. I'm her granddaughter, Kobayashi June"

The nurse nodded. "Ok. She's in room 502."

"Thank you." June said. She and Yuuta headed to the elevator doors. After a little while, the doors opened. The two were surprised to see who was inside.

"Hey, you're Fuji's younger brother, Yuuta, right?" Akira said as he and Kippei walked out of the elevator.

"Um...yeah." Yuuta said as he and June walked in.

"Listen, you're good friends with Aki-senpai, right?" June said. "Go outside the parking lot and try to calm her down. Thanks." The elevator doors closed to the puzzled looks of the two.

* * *

"We're actually going to take her word that Aki-chan is in the hospital parking lot?" Akira asked, as he followed Kippei on the way out. 

"We've known her for a while, so it won't be unusual if she really is having a breakdown in the hospital parking lot." Kippie said. The two stepped out of the hospital and indeed, there was a small crowd gathered in the parking lot.

Akira sighed. "What did they do this time?"

The two Fudomine tennis players watched the scene. They saw Tanisha who was struggling and was shouting.

"Can't all of you just leave?!" Tanisha groaned in frustration, her voice heard clearly by them despite the distance. "This is my business, so please just leave me alone."

* * *

"Sir, isn't that Hamada-san?" 

Atobe looked up from his laptop. "What?"

The limousine driver stopped the car and pointed out the window. "Sir, isn't that Hamada-san's daughter?"

Atobe pressed the down button near the window. The Hyotei buchou looked outside the window and was surprised to see Tanisha, furious and shouting.

"What in Kami-sama's name is she doing?" Atobe said to himself.

"Sir?" The limousine driver looked back at him.

"Uh..." Atobe sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Stop the limo. Ore-sama will talk to Aki-chan. Please tell Sarina-san that Ore-sama cancels the doctor's appointment. It's important that you do not tell her that Aki-chan is here, understand?"

The driver nodded. "Yes, sir."

Atobe opened the door and stepped out. He placed a hand on his cheek at the exact spot where Tanisha hit him. The mark was gone, but he could almost feel the stinging pain as if it was still there.

As the limo drove off, Atobe made his way to the small crowd.

* * *

"Tashi-chan please don't do this." Fuji said as he held her arms.

"I will do it!" Tanisha shouted. "I want to talk to them! Besides have you seen this?!" She pulled out her phone and the picture greeted Fuji's line of vision.

"But Tashi-chan, what if-"

"Um...what is going on?" Everyone looked at the two newcomers.

"Can't all of you just leave me alone?" She whined, slightly out of energy from all her previous shouting. "This is my business."

"What's wrong anyway?" Kippei asked.

"She's going inside the hospital to cause trouble." Yumiko answered.

"I am not!!!" Tanisha said.

"Really? Once you see your Dad with Doctor Yasui, who knows what you're going to do?" Nami said.

"Doctor Yasui?" Akira asked. "So your Dad was the patient they were talking about?"

"What about it?" Tanisha snapped angrily.

"Well, buchou had his check-up today with Doctor Yasui. She was interrupted when they said her multi-millionaire patient was in." Akira quickly said, cowering slightly against the girl's frustrated aura.

"What?" Tanisha exclaimed. "Who knows what she's doing to him?"

"Doctor Yasui is a good doctor, Aki-chan. You know that. She won't do anything inappropriate."

Everyone watched with surprise as the Hyotei buchou walked towards them.

"Atobe if you don't turn around now and get your butt to your limo, I will slap you again." Tanisha threatened.

"Aki-chan," Atobe spoke. "Please listen-"

"No!!! You listen!!!" Tanisha exploded and turned to him. "I thought you were my friend, but you didn't even tell me about it!!! Plus," She pulled out her phone and showed it to Atobe. "You know about this!!! Don't deny it!!!" When Atobe saw the picture, everyone was surprised at the look of utter disbelief on his face.

"Ore-sama honestly does not know a thing about this, Aki-chan." Atobe looked at her, still surprised.

Tanisha's anger fizzled a bit. "What?"

Fuji took the phone and glanced sadly at the picture.

There it was in the picture, the source of Tanisha's anger and panic. Akio and Sarina were in the picture. They were both eating in some fancy restaurant. What's more was that Sarina was flashing a huge diamond ring and a look of joy was on Akio's face.

They looked like they had just gotten engaged.

"Dammit! Why the heck is this happening to me?!" Tanisha shouted. The next thing they all knew, the redhead ran off towards the direction of the hospital.

* * *

June and Yuuta walked down the hallway, glancing at all the room numbers.

"I wonder if they've calmed her down yet." Yuuta suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry, who?" June asked, busy glancing at the numbers.

"Tanisha-neechan." Yuuta said.

"Oh," June paused. "I hope so, but we can't blame her. I mean, if you suddenly found out that your Dad is with some woman what would you do? I'd probably act the same way she does."

"Don't tell her I told you, k?" Yuuta said. "She'd kill me."

"I know." June said. "There are a lot of sick people here who need to recover and can't take loud noises. I hope she doesn't come in."

"Are you insulting her?" Yuuta asked.

"Eh?" June looked at him, a little panicked. "It's not meant as an insult."

"Don't worry." Yuuta smiled. "I'm not angry just curious. The thing is, when Tanisha-neechan is angry, she's really scary."

June nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Yuuta?"

Yuuta looked up to see a familiar face.

"Akio-sama?"

He and June bowed to the older man, who was walking alongside a pretty doctor.

"What are you doing here?" Akio asked.

"June came to visit her grandmother and I came along." Yuuta motioned to the girl beside him.

"June, eh?" The doctor spoke up. "You don't by any chance happen to be related to Kobayashi Junko?"

June nodded. "Yes. Are you her doctor?"

She smiled. "Why yes." She held out a hand which June took. They shook hands. "How are you? I'm Doctor Yasui Sarina."

The two teens paused. "Yasui...Sarina?"

"Is something wrong?" Sarina asked, with a smile.

"Well...ano..." Yuuta looked at June who looked a little panicky.

"Yuuta, is something wrong?" Akio asked.

"Well...you see... what he means to say is..." June tried to say.

"Yuuta. June. I am losing my patience here." Akio said.

"Tanisha's outside in the parking lot and she's angry." June cracked as Yuuta sighed.

The two elders looked surprised. "What?!"

"Um...yes and she's saying something about a picture." June said.

At that, the two elders left quickly.

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Sanada shook his head as he and his captain eavesdropped from the corner. "This is bad."

"Come on. We'd better go after her and calm her down." Seiichi said. The Rikkai captain headed down the hall quickly. "It's better if we get to her first and calm her down before trouble starts."

"I know a shortcut." Sanada spoke up as he and Seiichi skidded to a stop near a fire escape. "It leads right outside towards the direction of the parking lot. We might have to hurry though."

"Sure." Seiichi nodded and flung open the door.

The two Rikkai regulars disappeared down the fire escape.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, that's the twenty-first chapter. And more trouble is coming their way.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.

Rai

* * *


	22. Now She Knows

* * *

**A/N:** First of all, please don't kill me for not updating for so so long. Like I said in the previous chapter, school's starting for me so I'm SO busy. I'm sorry to everyone and I hope this chapter sorta makes up for it.

Thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter and I hope you guys will review this one. This is dedicated to everyone and to my dear friend, **riknata** whose e-mails are keeping me sane from all the amount of schoolwork I'm getting. My advice to those who are on vacation, enjoy it while you can.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

**Summary:** To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

**Featured Song:** (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 22: Now She Knows**

**(Normal POV)**

For the hundredth time that day, Hiro wondered why he just had to agree to his friend's request. He had enough problems at home and at school without Tanisha getting him involved in her personal problems . Hiro actually feels like he aged twenty years in the past thirty minutes.

"Am-girl," Hiro ran after her along with the other people who appeared. "I don't need this kind of stress!!! I'm only fourteen for goodness' sake and you're killing me before I'm even due to die!!! So get back here!!!"

"Hiro-senpai!!! You're not helping!!!" Izumi shouted.

Fuji ran past Hiro and Izumi and attempted to catch up to his childhood friend. "Tashi-chan!!!"

Tanisha paid them no heed and ran to the direction of the hospital. She was surprised when she suddenly found herself spinning around.

"What the-" Tanisha felt two hands on her arms and was suddenly looking up to the angry face of Sanada and the concerned face of Seiichi.

"Sanada-kun, Seiichi-kun?" Tanisha asked.

"Thank goodness we made it just in time." Seiichi breathed and kept his hold on her arm.

The rest of the crowd stopped just before the Rikkai buchou and fukubuchou.

"What are you-" Tanisha was about to ask when she suddenly remembered what she was about to do. "Wait a sec!!! Let go of me!!!"

"No." Both answered and kept a firm grip on her. Tanisha squirmed.

"What are you doing here?" Tanisha asked.

"I was supposed to have a check-up with a certain doctor." Seiichi said. "Unfortunately, you're after her. So I need to stop you or risk losing a fantastic doctor."

Tanisha glared at him. "I can't believe you!!! You're on her side?!" She looked at Sanada. "You too?!"

Sanada gave her a look, which made Tanisha back off slightly. "We are not on anybody's side. Now calm down and do not make a fool of yourself."

Tanisha glared at the two, but squirmed under their intense gaze. Fuji quickly took her from them.

"Tashi-chan, please don't do this." Fuji said to her in a low voice. The panic in his voice made Tanisha uneasy, but her desire to talk to her father and to Sarina raged on.

Tanisha took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "Everyone, I-I...I promise I will not make a scene, I swear. I just...I need...I need...need to talk to them...to know if it's...it's true...that they're..."

"Tanisha!!!"

Tanisha flinched, but she turned with her head held high.

"Dad."

* * *

"Tanisha, can you please calm down?!"

Everyone sighed at the shout. The same thing had been going on in the doctor's office for fifteen minutes now and there's no sign of it stopping. For a quarter of an hour, the redhead heiress refused to calm down. The gang had quickly gotten used to the weird stares they were receiving from the nurses and the patients. Who wouldn't stare anyway? A bunch of teenagers were gathered outside the doctor's office where loud screams were coming from.

"When is she going to let her Dad talk?" Akira asked from his spot on the floor between Tachibana and Momoshiro.

"She won't." Fuji and Seiichi answered at the same time. The two momentarily paused and looked at each other.

Yumiko sighed at their silent competition. "Meaning?"

"Akio-sama will need to find a way to make Tashi-chan listen to him if he wants her to calm down." Fuji said, not breaking eye-contact with the Rikkai buchou.

"The reason Aki-chan's talking nonstop in the first place is because she's trying to avoid listening to Akio-sama." Seiichi spoke after.

"Sheesh." Yumiko sighed and leaned against Tezuka, who was beside her. She murmured to herself. "Their rivalry for Aki-chan is so overrated. Everyone knows who Aki-chan really lo-" She felt a tug on her arm. "Eh?"

Tezuka stood up from beside her. "Come on."

Yumiko looked up at him, wondering, but she stood up and followed him. Once they turned the corner and were out of hearing range, she asked. "What's wrong, Mitsu?"

"Don't say it, Yumi." Tezuka said. "Even if you're rooting for Fuji and even if you think he's the one Aki will choose, it isn't right for you to say it in front of both of them."

Yumiko sighed. "I guess you're right." She sat down on a nearby bench. Tezuka sat down beside her. "Aki-chan's already having a hard time with her family and she's having problems with her feelings. If they both come into the picture, her life's going to get more complicated."

Tezuka sighed. "There's nothing we can do, Yumi. It's her life and it's her choice."

"There's something else." Yumiko looked up at him. "If she discovers Nami's secret. She'll be devastated."

Tezuka ran a hand through his hair. "Aki really does have issues with her feelings."

"Tell me about it, Mitsu." Yumiko sighed with frustration. "She has Seiichi, then she goes out with Takahisa, then she breaks up with him because she admits that she's in love with Fuji. Sometimes I just want to shove her in a closet with all three of them and force her to finally choose-"

"Ah, Sasaki-san, Tezuka-san?"

Yumiko and Tezuka looked up. Once they saw who it was, a feeling of doom settled upon them.

* * *

"Eh?" Akira looked at the closed door of the office. "The shouting stopped."

"So it has." Kippei nodded.

"You seduced my Dad!!!"

"On second thought, never mind." Akira mumbled.

Suddenly, Yumiko came running towards them.

Izumi stood up. "Yumiko-senpai, is something-"

"No time." Yumiko went to Nami, who was sitting beside Hiro, and pulled her to her feet. "We have to go, as in now-"

"Eh?" Nami looked at her surprised. Ever since Yumiko found out about her relationship with Takahisa, she avoided her at all costs. Now here she was, actually talking to her. "What's wrong?"

"He's here." Yumiko said. Nami froze and Izumi's eyes widened.

"Who's 'he'?" Hiro asked.

"Come on." Yumiko tugged on her arm. "Mitsu won't be able to stall him for long."

"Nami-chan."

The girl in question, along with Yumiko and Izumi, flinched. It was too late.

"T-T-Takahisa-kun," Nami stuttered. Her eyes widened as the Jyosei captain approached her. Tezuka followed after, who sent an apologetic look at Yumiko.

"Takahisa?" Fuji stood up and gazed at the newcomer, who stopped and looked at him in turn. Takahisa then turned and looked at the others.

"What are you all doing here?" He asked. Then he shook his head. "On second thought, I don't want to know." He sent a look at Fuji's direction. "I'm not here to argue ok? I only came by for Nami-chan."

"What?" Hiro and everyone else looked at the girl, who was fidgeting under everyone's gazes.

Takahisa looked at everyone. "Why are you all-"

The next thing the Jyosei buchou knew, he felt pain and was suddenly sprawled down on the floor.

"Fuji!!!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Fuji." Tezuka grabbed his regular. "Control yourself."

"You..." Fuji glared down at Takahisa, who was wiping his busted lip from Fuji's punch. The usually calm Seigaku tensai was shaking, his face showing his anger. "Behind Tashi-chan's back-"

"What are you talking about?!" Takahisa shouted, blood seeping down his chin. "I'm not doing anything with her!!! She told me she was in love with you!!!"

Fuji's eyes widened. Seiichi stood up in shock and said, "What?". Fuji took a step towards him.

"No!!!" Nami stood in-between the two. "Don't hurt him. Please." She helped Takahisa stand up and faced Fuji. "It's me. I'm the one...I...I..."

"Shit. You're going out with him." Realization dawned on Rin's face.

"Say what?!" Hiro looked at Nami. "That can't be true. Nami-chan, does Aki-chan know? I mean, how long?"

"So much for keeping it a secret from Aki-senpai, ne Yumiko-senpai?" Izumi spoke up. She had a weird smirk on her face and she watched the scene from her spot on the floor with a look of amusement mixed with something like contempt.

"You knew about all this?" Hiro and Rin turned to the young girl.

Izumi shrugged. "Yeah, so? I mean, Yumiko-senpai didn't even bother hiding it that well."

"What?!" Nami turned to her. "I thought you would keep it a secret!!!"

"I did!!!" Yumiko shouted back. "I-" Yumiko was stopped when a strong hand covered her mouth. She looked to see Tezuka, who was staring at something. Yumiko turned to look at what he was looking at. Her eyes widened.

There was Tanisha standing there. Tears running down her cheeks. In one swift motion, the redhead turned around and ran off.

* * *

_"Hello, this is Nami. I'm not here at the moment so please leave a message after the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Bye."_

"Hey Nami-chan, it's me." A voice resonated through the room. "I'm sorry about coming and revealing everything to Tanisha. I didn't mean for it to turn out that way. Please talk to me. I'll be waiting."

Nami sighed after hearing the call. She sat down on the bed.

"Why did everything turn out this way? Is it all my fault?"

"Maybe...love isn't worth all this..."

* * *

Takahisa sighed and placed down the phone.

"How did everything turn out this way?" He asked himself.

If only he hadn't fallen for Tanisha then everything wouldn't have turned out this way, but...

If he hadn't fallen in love with Tanisha and got his heart broken, he would never have met Nami, but at the same time...

He only decided to stick around with Nami in the first place because she was a close friend of Tanisha...now he didn't know what to think.

He groaned as realization struck him. He only had two options, keep on pursuing Tanisha who had already fallen for someone else...or...

Give his heart to someone else, to someone he was only using in the first place...but to whom he's in love with now.

* * *

Izumi tossed herself onto her bed and buried her head on her pillow. The young girl let out a muffled scream of frustration before turning to look up at the ceiling.

What came over her that time?

What made her say those hurtful words?

She wasn't jealous, since she had Momoshiro and she didn't have a complicated life. She wasn't angry, since they didn't do anything wrong to her. She wasn't trying to hurt anyone, since she cared about all of them... So why?

Maybe it's because she's just so tired of everything. Tired of all the secrets. Tired of all the deceit. Tired of everyone not being honest with each other. Tired of everyone not being honest with _themselves_.

Why can't Aki-senpai admit that she's in love with Fuji? Why can't Nami-chan just admit that she's in love with Takahisa? Why can't Fuji-senpai stop his silly games and go after Aki-senpai? Why can't Yumiko-senpai stop acting innocent about everything when she chose to hide the truth from everyone? Why...Why...

Izumi sighed. Everyone's just a liar, not just to each other, but most importantly, to themselves...and that's the kind of thing that's stopping everyone from finally being happy.

* * *

Yumiko couldn't believe everything that's happening. How did a trip to the hospital to stop Aki-chan turn into their friendship falling apart?

Oh yeah, because Izumi's got a big mouth, Nami's a liar and Aki's in denial.

Yumiko shook her head. It was wrong of her to accuse her friends and think of them like that, especially since she didn't do anything to help in the first place.

Sometimes, friendship isn't worth all the pain and suffering one has to endure.

Friendship sucks.

* * *

Fuji sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before resuming his lifeless staring at the floor. After coming back from the hospital, the Seigaku tensai had done nothing but sit in his room and think about everything that happened, especially a certain Jyosei's words.

_"She told me she was in love with you!!!"_

Fuji sighed and looked at the picture of Tanisha on his bedside table. What can he do now?

It's obvious that Takahisa was only lying. If Tashi-chan really did love him then why did she look so hurt when she found out Takahisa was with Nami? Maybe she had feelings for Takahisa? Or maybe she was hiding her true feelings? Or maybe she was also in love with Takahisa but he started going out with Nami behind her back? Then if that's the case, why did Takahisa say that Tashi-chan admitted that she loved Fuji in the first place? Or...Or...

Fuji shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts. Tanisha was the only one who can make him this confused, who can make him act so disoriented.

But now what's he going to do?

Should he wait, or risk losing the only person he's ever really cared about?

* * *

"Everything is my fault, isn't it?" Tanisha turned to her companion. "I messed up, didn't I?"

"Well... you made mistakes, nobody can blame you for that."

Tanisha leaned against her companion as they sat side-by-side at the foot of her bed. "I messed up big time, Seiichi."

Seiichi rubbed her lower back slowly. "Yes you did, but you can still do something about it."

Tanisha scoffed. "Oh yeah? My life sucks big time. I just found out that my Dad and Sarina are REALLY engaged and then I found out that my friend is going out with someone who I technically broke up with and then I had a huge fight with all my friends, who probably hates me so much by now. What else can I do? My life sucks as it is without me doing something to ruin it more."

Seiichi sighed. "The only question here is Aki-chan, are you willing to be honest with your feelings for once?"

"What are you talking about?" Tanisha looked at Seiichi.

Seiichi smiled comfortingly. "What do you feel? What do you want to do? What are you thinking? What's going on inside of you?"

Tanisha sighed. "I...I... I miss my Mom. I...the truth is...I don't have anything against Sarina-san. She's nice and I like her a lot, but...I miss my Mom. I don't know why I can't let go of her. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm afraid of losing her."

Tanisha's covered her face with her hands as her companion patted her on the back.

"Aki-chan, you do know that just because you let someone new into your life, doesn't mean you will forget about your mother." Seiichi said. "You're not the type of person to just forget. You love your mother, but letting her memory get in the way of you and your father's happiness won't make her happy."

"I know that." Tanisha said. "But...there's the other...I mean..."

Seiichi looked at her. "Fuji, I take it." When Tanisha nodded, he asked. "Are you in love with Fuji?"

"I-I don't know...I think I do...I...I" Tanisha stuttered, making her companion smile softly.

"Aki-chan," Seiichi looked at her straight in the eye. "Do you love Fuji?" Tanisha looked down to avoid his gaze, but Seiichi tipped her chin up to make her look at him. "Do you?"

Tanisha sniffed and whispered. "You tell me."

Seiichi sighed. Sometimes just when you thought she was starting to open up to you, she starts withdrawing herself again. An idea suddenly came to him. Seiichi knew that Aki-chan won't appreciate this, but sacrifices must be made.

He wrapped an arm around Aki's waist and pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

"Things not going so well for you, eh Hamada?"

Hamada Akio gave a bitter a laugh and looked at the man sitting in the table across from him.

"You think?"

Sasaki Wataru smirked, then poured some wine onto his companion's glass. "Teenagers are difficult, especially teenage daughters."

Akio sighed and nodded. "How are things going for you anyway?"

Wataru shrugged. "I lost about a few thousand dollars to the Atobe family in stocks."

Akio looked at him quizically. "You don't seem bothered about it."

Wataru smiled. "I'm planning a new business deal, you see. It's guaranteed to bring me more than ten million dollars."

Akio raised his glass to him. "Cheers to you then." He downed the drink.

Akio was too busy drinking to notice the smile on Wataru's face turn into a malicious smirk.

* * *

**A/N:** There guys. I know this is a short one, but things are going crazy over here. I am really sorry for this. I realized that I'll only be able to update about once a week, so I'm really sorry guys.

I hope you enjoyed it. Please review.

Rai

* * *


	23. The Beginning And The End

A/N: Hey guys. This is the twenty-third chapter, and I hope you like this one. School's still busy as ever and is slowly sapping away my youth. sigh I'm having a little difficulty with a few subjects so I'm sorta juggling my sched with all the homework, tests, studying, and of course trying, to write up this chapter. sigh

Thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter. This is for **riknata**, who I still haven't e-mailed due to the amount of schoolwork I'm getting.

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

Summary: To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

Featured Song: (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 23: The Beginning And The End  
**

**(Normal POV)**

Seiichi kissed her.

Kissed her.

As in actually kissed her.

Damn.

That did not happen.

It didn't. It couldn't.

But it did.

Tanisha sighed in frustration and ran a hand through her red locks. She leaned back on the wall and closed her eyes. She was glad that she had the entire rooftop to herself this lunch period. Kami-sama knows the turmoil happening inside her. Everything was getting confusing. Everything was just so wrong.

So wrong.

Tanisha opened her eyes and looked up at the sky.

So wrong.

That's exactly what it felt when Seiichi kissed her.

It was absolutely wrong, that much Tanisha knew.

It was also true and completely undeniable that Tanisha loved Seiichi. Yes, she loves the Rikkai buchou, but only as a close friend and a brother figure. To think of him as something more than that is...just plain wrong.

A vision flashed in Tanisha's mind's eye. She remembered the scene where Fuji almost kissed her during the pool party. Tanisha blushed a bit as she recalled the almost-kiss.

Now, that was right. Tanisha had to admit that that felt right... definitely right.

The redhead blushed deeper, thanking her lucky stars that she was alone.

Tanisha took a deep breath. The first step to getting herself back on track was...to admit it.

"I..." Tanisha took another deep breath. "I...I...Damn." Tanisha buried her face in her hands. What is wrong with her? It's only five little words. It shouldn't be so difficult. Tanisha looked back up at the sky and took one last deep breath. "I'm...in...love...with him."

"I'm in love with Fuji."

* * *

"Yumi."

"Yeah?" The young girl didn't bother looking up from her books. As of now, studying was the only thing she can do. She can only make herself so busy so that she won't have time to think about anyone and anything, so why can't people leave her alone?

"Yumi."

Yumiko let out an irritated sigh and slammed her pen down on the table. She took off her reading glasses and looked up, ready to tell whoever it is to back off. The words died on her lips when she realized who was calling her in the first place.

"Mitsu." She said in a low voice, as Tezuka sat down on the seat across from her. She should have known better than to hide in the library. Tezuka knew her better that that.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, as Yumiko put her glasses back on and tried to read the paragraph on her book, but nothing was registering in her mind. She was only half-surprised when a hand closed the book she was reading and Tezuka placed it to one side.

"Why are you here?" She looked up at him.

Tezuka gave her a look. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"

"Listen," Yumiko kept her gaze down on the table. "I just really need to be alone."

She felt Tezuka's gaze on her. "So what? So you can blame yourself for everything?"

Yumiko held onto her patience. If Tezuka knew her, why couldn't he understand her need to be alone? "Mitsu, please just leave. I...I can't talk now. I just need to study." Yumiko reached to the side to grab her book, but Tezuka placed a hand firmly over hers.

"Yumi, look at me." He said. Yumiko hesitated, but then looked up at him. Tezuka looked at her firmly and in an honest tone. "This is not your fault, so stop blaming yourself for everything that happened. It is not your fault."

Before Yumiko knew it, she snatched her hand back and glared at Tezuka. "How would you know? I was the one who knew everything that's happening. Maybe if I had done something in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Tezuka let out an irritated sigh, which served to aggravate Yumiko further. "Yumi, you did what you had to do to protect your friends. You kept it a secret because telling them would only hurt them."

"Even if I didn't tell them, I still would've been able to do something." Yumiko countered angrily.

Tezuka looked at her. "Yumi, you-"

"Listen." Yumiko suddenly found herself saying. She looked down on her lap. "Since we obviously have different views on the matter, let's not talk anymore."

Tezuka kept quiet, but Yumiko could feel his surprise.

"And..." Yumiko said the next words before she could stop herself. "Maybe this relationship's not working." She looked to the side, making sure to avoid his gaze. "This is a critical time and if we can't compromise now, what will happen next time? Maybe we're just...too different."

Tezuka was silent. After a few seconds, he wordlessly stood up from his seat and walked away. When Yumiko heard the door close, she finally allowed herself to cry.

* * *

"Nami-chan, please talk to me."

Nami ignored whoever it is and simply pushed past the crowd of people. In the midst of the crowd where she was sure he couldn't see her, she turned to the nearest alleyway. Nami hurried down the long pathway, not bothering to turn back and confirm if she was being followed. When she was a considerable distance away, she stopped. Panting slightly, Nami placed a hand on the nearest wall to steady herself. It didn't help her however, as her knees buckled from under her. She would've slumped down painfully on the ground, if a pair of strong arms hadn't caught her in time.

Nami's breath hitched when she heard his voice. "Nami-chan, please talk to me."

Nami took a deep breath to compose herself. "I...I can't. Not now."

Takahisa wrapped his arms firmly around the girl. "Nami-chan, I'm sorry. What I said before didn't come out right. Please just let me explain."

Nami shook her head and tried to free herself from Takahisa, but he held on. "Don't worry. It came out just right. You wanted to talk after school, so I met up with you in the park. Then when I suddenly confess to actually be in love with you, what do I get? You suddenly blurt out that you were just using me!!!"

Nami struggled fiercely against his grip. "I'm not stupid. You could've just said that you were still in love with her instead of saying it that way. I...I knew deep inside that you were just using me, but I...I...thought that maybe...I thought I could take it just to be with you...I..." Nami stopped struggling and went limp. She then burst into tears.

Takahisa turned her around and placed her on his lap. Nami buried her face in his shirt and started hitting him with her fist.

"You are so stupid and so insensitive! You're such a jerk! And I fell for you! I hate you for that!"

Takahisa looked down at her sadly. Seeing her in this state hurt him more than he thought it would. He embraced her tightly. "Nami-chan..."

Nami stopped beating his chest and sobbed onto his shirt.

"Nami-chan...I..." Takahisa tried to think of the right words to say. "The thing is... what I really wanted to say was that..." He paused, unsure of what to say. When he felt Nami cringe at his hesitation, he suddenly found himself talking. "It's true ok? At first I really intended to use you because I wanted to get back with Tanisha, but... that changed."

Takahisa could no longer feel Nami sobbing and took it a sign to continue. "I didn't want to use you anymore." Takahisa placed a hand under Nami's chin and made her look up at him. "I...I am, and will still be, in love with Tanisha, despite the fact that she loves someone else..." Nami's eyes widened but Takahisa's gaze held her. "But that doesn't mean that I don't love you. Tanisha's the first girl I've ever really cared about but I do love you Nami-chan. I...I just can't change the fact that I love you both."

Takahisa broke eye-contact, afraid of what Nami might say. After a while, he felt Nami's hand on his cheek. He looked into her eyes and saw the happiness in them.

"I..." Nami spoke. "I'm happy that you love me, but...I'm even happier that even if there are...two of us in your heart, you still chose to be with me."

Nami kissed him on the cheek but Takahisa pulled her into a real kiss...and damn, it felt good.

* * *

Fuji went inside the clubhouse. Today was the worst day of practice they've ever had. Tezuka was completely out of it, which resulted in the whole club being out of it too, especially the regulars. The usually focused buchou was dazed and kept on brooding about something. It probably had something to do about that rumor going around between him and Sasaki Yumiko.

Fuji tossed his racket inside his bag and opened his locker. He was surprised to see a toy placed inside.

An Arctic Fox plushie.

Fuji pulled it out and looked at it. He then noticed the letter that was placed with it. He opened the note and was surprised at what he read. He quickly placed the plushie in his bag, changed clothes quickly and walked out of the clubhouse.

* * *

Fuji walked the familiar path that he hadn't been on for more than seven years now, but unlike before, the path was now half-hidden with leaves and grass. As if on automatic, Fuji walked on with the familiar aura of the place calming down his nerves.

He finally reached his destination.

Sachi.

The sakura tree he and Tashi claimed as their's years ago. (1) The very place they used to play and hang out together. The very place where he learned to love and care for Tashi. The very place he had avoided for more than seven years now, ever since he broke off his friendship with Tanisha.

Fuji walked towards the still-majestic tree and placed a hand on the familiar trunk. He fondly recalled the laughter and fun times that happened as he walked around it, all the while running a hand across the trunk. When he reached the opposite end, he saw the mark on the trunk, a lopsided circle with Sho and Tashi carved awkwardly inside it.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Fuji opened his eyes and smiled, still stroking the carving. "Yes, it does."

A comfortable silence erupted between the two childhood friends. They both knew that the other was fondly remembering all the good and bad times spent under this tree.

Tanisha sat down on a bench a few feet away form the tree. Fuji joined her, sitting at a casual distance away.

"Why did you want to meet me here?" Fuji asked after sometime.

Tanisha shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to see this place again. Besides, I haven't been here in years. So I sort of need your permission to visit _our_ tree."

Fuji smiled. "I see."

"Do you remember," Tanisha started. "Back when we were five and you taught me how to climb Sachi?"

Fuji chuckled. "How can I forget? You almost fell that time, didn't you?"

Tanisha gave him a look. "Almost, being the key word there." Fuji chuckled. "It wasn't my fault I didn't know how to climb a tree that time."

"Of course it wasn't your fault, Tashi-chan." Fuji agreed, laughter in his eyes. "But it was your fault that you happened to be very clumsy and impatient."

Tanisha glared softly. "I admit to being impatient Sho-kun, but as of now, I am no longer a clutz."

"Oh really?" Fuji stood up with a challenging smile. "Would you like to try now?"

"Eh?" Tanisha looked up at him quizically.

Fuji pointed at the tree. "First one to reach the top wins."

Tanisha stood up and took the challenge. "Ok."

For half an hour the two childhood friends stayed true to their competitive nature and playfulness as they tentatively climbed the tree and tried to say something to make the other slip. The ironic thing was that when one of them came close to falling, the other would immediately react, which defeated the purpose of trying to make them slip in the first place. In the end, Fuji triumphed and hauled himself up to the tallest branch.

"Mou...I lost." Tanisha sighed from the branch under Fuji's. She then hauled herself slowly up to sit beside the boy.

Fuji smiled at her. "Maybe, but you were right. You're no longer the little klutz."

"See, I told y-" Tanisha saw the look in Fuji's eyes and stopped. The look in his eyes could only be described as nostalgic as well as with an air of fondness. The real reason for this meeting suddenly came back to her.

"Sho-kun?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever wish you can go back to when we were kids?" Tanisha looked at him curiously.

Fuji was surprised at the question, but he simply smiled and looked out past the leaves to the stunning view of the park. "Sometimes."

"Why?"

Fuji chuckled. "Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know." Tanisha shrugged. "I guess I was just curious."

"Well..." Fuji kept his gaze on the fast darkening surroundings. "It's because back when we were kids...you were mine." Tanisha's breath caught in her throat at that, and Fuji kept on talking. "Back when we were kids, you always needed me to help you, to be with you, to play with you. You couldn't go for one day without asking for my help or wanting my attention." Fuji gave a little laugh. "But now, you went for seven whole years without me."

Tanisha leaned against his shoulder. Fuji tensed upon contact, but quickly relaxed.

"Would it help to tell you that I missed you all those seven years?"

Fuji looked at her curiously. "Does this have anything to do with why you wanted me to meet you here in the first place?"

Tanisha straightened and looked him in the eye. "The thing is... I'm tired of the competition."

"I'm afraid I don't follow." Fuji said warily.

"Do you like me?" Tanisha suddenly burst out saying.

Fuji's eyes widened, but he simply smiled. "Do you even have to ask?"

Tanisha blushed a bit but she looked at him. "The thing is...ano..."

"I want us to give it a try."

* * *

Akio sighed as he, Sarina and Wataru read over the important papers. In the end, he leaned back on his seat.

"Dear?" Sarina looked over at him softly. "Are you ok?"

Akio nodded and smiled at his fiancee. "Yes dear. I'm just not sure about these documents."

Wataru shook his head. "Nonsense Hamada. It's perfectly fine."

"Maybe, but it's unfair." Akio glanced at the papers.

"Well, I'm fine with it and you should too." Wataru said as he stood up and grabbed his briefcase. He grabbed a few of the papers. "I'll go home and review these."

"Thank you." Sarina said.

Wataru walked out of the office and took the elevator down to the ground floor of the building. Once he stepped out of the building, he tossed the papers into the nearest trash bin.

He smirked. "Soon Hamada, very soon."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys. That's it for the twenty-third chapter. As for Tanisha's willingness to try the relationship, it's up to you to think if something's fishy going on, because I certainly don't...hehehe...

(1) If you guys don't remember, this was in a flashback in Chapter 5.

I'm so happy to have reached the 200-review mark. Thank you for the support everyone!!!

With thanks,

Rai

* * *


	24. A Mysterious Warning

* * *

A/N: Hey guys. Chapter twenty-four here. School's the same, no change there. As for my friends, my guy best friend's having a crisis and my girl best friend's having issues with her family. As for me, I'm a little stressed out and desperately needing some sleep since I've only been sleeping for like, four hours every night. The only thing that calms me down is writing this chapter...sigh... 

Anyway, several new people have joined the bandwagon. Thank you to the new people who read, reviewed and placed my story on Alert or Favorites. For my usual readers, thanks for the support and for the reviews.

By the way, a character makes a comeback. Guess who?

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

Summary: To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC RyoSak

Featured Song: When I Said Goodbye by: STEPS (check profile for links...)(I won't be using the lyrics in the story. I just think that it is the perfect song for Yumiko and Tezuka. Check it out.)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 24: A Mysterious Warning  
**

**(Normal POV)**

Tanisha sighed as she walked down the grand staircase of the mansion. Today was a Saturday so she was able to sleep in, which she really needed after what happened yesterday. A blush crossed her face as she remembered the look of surprise on Fuji's face after hearing her "proposal" and then the look of utter delight he had before embracing her.

"Ugh." Tanisha shook her head to remove the image from her mind and concentrated on going to the kitchen.

"Good morning Chef Al." Tanisha said as she pushed open the kitchen door. "What's for break-" She paused as she saw who was seated on the counter.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

"You seem to be in a good mood today, aniki." Yuuta can't help commenting as he watched his older brother walk, or better yet prance, around the kitchen making breakfast. Yumiko simply smiled and giggled at him. 

"Really? I feel the same as ever." Fuji commented as he served the pancakes to his siblings. Yuuta raised an eyebrow in disbelief but dug in. Yumiko giggled one more time before eating as well.

"This is pretty good, aniki." Yuuta said and gobbled up his food. "Mmm..."

"Yum." Yumiko smiled. "Very delicious Syuusuke."

Fuji smiled. "I'm glad you like it. This is the first time I tried making it, but it turned out well."

_DING...DONG...DING...DONG..._

"I'll get it." Yuuta said. He stood up, bringing his plate with him, and walked out the kitchen.

When Yuuta was gone, Yumiko turned to the smiling tensai. "This has something to do with Tanisha, right?"

Fuji didn't hesitate to nod. "Yes it does."

Yumiko smiled wider. "So? Are you two finally..." When Fuji nodded, she squealed and reached out over the table to hug him. "I'm so happy for you Syuusuke!!!"

"Thanks." He said. "I-"

"Oi aniki." Yuuta popped inside, followed by June. "We have a visitor." Yuuta sat down and continued eating, as Yumiko stood up and hugged June.

"Hey Yumiko-chan, Fuji-senpai." June said and seated herself beside Yuuta. "Sorry about barging in and all."

"No problem." Fuji said and placed a plate in front of June. "Come on and eat."

June nodded and started eating. "Thank you."

"So, what are your plans for today?" Yumiko asked as everyone started eating.

"Mmm..." Yuuta swallowed his food. "June and I are going to play tennis at the street courts with Erika-senpai and Ryou of Hyotei." June nodded at that.

"Tennis practice is canceled for us, but I'll be going out with Tashi-chan later." Fuji answered.

June paused in her eating and looked at Fuji. "Seriously, Fuji-senpai? You and Aki-senpai finally hooked up?" When Fuji nodded, she smiled. "Well congratulations, at least you're together, not like Yumiko-senpai and Tezuka-senpai."

"What do you mean by that?" Fuji looked at her curiously.

"You mean you didn't know?" June asked as she munched on the pancakes. "Well, a rumor's going around that they broke up, but I think it's true considering how happy Tezuka-senpai's fangirls are."

Fuji's eyes opened, scaring June slightly. "When?"

"A-Ano...yesterday." June said.

After a moment of silence, Fuji stood up and wordlessly walked out of the room.

* * *

"Oi, Yu-chan." 

Yumiko looked up from the TV to see her older brother Sho. She was currently spending the weekend at her Dad's apartment especially since she didn't have anything to do anyway. She had plans before, plans with Tezuka, but seeing as they've broken up all she can do is stay home.

Yumiko looked at her brother. "Yeah Sho-nii?"

Sho plucked the remote from her sister's hands and turned off the TV. "You've been depressed since yesterday. What's wrong?" He sat down beside her.

Yumiko forced a smiled on her face. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired with school and all." She tried to reach the remote but Sho tossed it to one side.

"By the way, I haven't seen that guy recently." Sho commented. "You know, that Tezuka."

Yumiko cringed, which Sho noticed immediately. "Oh...um...he's fine. He's busy with school, that's all."

"I see." Sho said. He sighed and grabbed his sister's arm. "Come on. No sense staying here. Let's go out."

Yumiko at him. "Just the two of us?"

Sho smiled at his younger sister. "Yup, just the two of us. It'll be fun."

* * *

"I'll say it once and I'll say it again. What are you doing here?" Tanisha glared at her uninvited guest, who merely smirked. 

"Now is that any way to treat a guest? You are not acting very hospitable, Tanisha." Mizuki said as he sipped his drink. Tanisha walked over and swiped the glass from him before depositing it directly in the trash bin, glass and all. Mizuki shook his head. "That's not very lady-like Tanisha."

"Well I don't care." Tanisha glared at him. "Who let you in?"

"The butler." Mizuki answered in an I-don't-care tone.

"Why did he let you in? I gave specific orders that you are not allowed to go in here." Tanisha said.

"Well..." Mizuki feigned innocence. "He tried to turn me down gently, but let's just say my friend convinced him otherwise." That was the time Tanisha noticed a tall bulky man standing at the corner of the kitchen. He was huge, clean-shaven and was wearing a suit.

"What's with the bodyguard?" Tanisha can't help asking.

Mizuki shrugged. "Nothing, just wanting to be sure."

Tanisha looked at him. "About what-"

_BRING...BRING...BRING..._

Mizuki smirked. "You better get that." The St. Rudolph manager then turned to the fridge to get another drink, but Tanisha grabbed his arm.

"Nuh-uh. No way am I leaving you here alone." Tanisha tugged on his arm, ignoring the growl emitting from the bodyguard, and dragged him out of the kitchen to the living room. Mizuki pulled his arm away and sat down on the couch as Tanisha picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

_"Tashi-chan. It's me."_

"Oh hey." Tashi-chan can't help smiling when she heard Fuji's voice. "What is it?"

_"Well I-"_

"Who is that?" Mizuki suddenly shouted. He smirked as Tanisha glared at him.

_"That voice sounds familiar."_

"Oh. That's Mizuki." Tanisha grabbed a pillow from a chair and threw it at the smirking boy but the pillow was intercepted by the bodyguard. "The brat forced his way in and is threatening me with a bodyguard."

_"He is? I'll come over."_

"Wait. It's ok." Tanisha hurriedly assured him. "I'm fine here."

_"Too late."_

_DING...DONG...DING...DONG..._

"Eh?" Tanisha watched as Mizuki stood up and opened the door, only to be greeted by a glaring Fuji.

"Why Fuji," Mizuki acted graciously. "How nice of you to come. Do come in." Fuji turned off his phone and walked in just as Tanisha put down the phone. The Seigaku tensai kept on glaring at the smirking manager.

"Sho-kun. Why are you here?" Tanisha asked.

"I've got something to tell you." Fuji answered. "But it can wait, seeing as you have a guest."

Mizuki sighed. "Well, it is getting a bit crowded in here, so I'll take my leave." He motioned to the bodyguard who held the door open for him. Just as Mizuki was about to walk out, he turned back to them. "By the way Tanisha, if I were you I'd pay more attention to what your Dad's been doing these past few days, particularly who he's with."

"So? How does that concern you?" Tanisha looked at him curiously.

Mizuki shook his head. "You can follow my advice or not, but don't say I didn't warn you." He walked out.

* * *

"So, where do you want to go?" Sho asked his younger sister. "My treat." 

Yumiko smiled at his generosity. "Thanks. How about we go to the pet shop? Hana-neechan always did talk about getting a pet. Maybe we could get her one for her birthday."

Sho nodded. "Sure."

The Sasaki siblings headed to the pet store. When they arrived, Yumiko smiled at the dozens and dozens of cages.

"Ooh. Look at this Sho-nii." Yumiko pointed to a white and brown puppy. "It's so kawaii!!!"

The siblings walked around and examined all the cages. Yumiko was so engrossed in watching that she accidentally bumped into someone. She would've fallen if Sho hadn't caught her.

"Ouch. Um...I'm really sorry, I-" Yumiko looked at the person she bumped into. "Eiji-kun?"

"Ouch." Eiji rubbed his head, but he brightened up when he saw her. "Nya, hey Yumiko-chan."

"You know him, Yu-chan?" Sho asked her.

"He's a classmate from school. Eiji-kun, this is my older brother Sho." Yumiko introduced them. The two shook hands.

"I'll let you two talk. Look for me when you're done Yu-chan. Nice meeting you Eiji." Sho walked off.

Eiji watched him go. "He's nice. So..." The redhead turned to her. "What are you doing here Yumiko-chan?"

"Oh nothing, just looking." Yumiko pointed at the many animals. "You?"

"Nya, I come here often to see the animals." Eiji answered as the two of them walked down the aisle.

"That's nice."

Silence reigned for a few moments, before Eiji grabbed her arm.

"Ne Yumiko-chan..." Eiji looked at her. Yumiko was slightly surprised at how serious he looked.

"Um... yeah?"

"Did anything...you know..." Eiji looked her straight in the eye. "...Happen between you and buchou?" Yumiko flinched, but remained quiet. Eiji decided to talk more. "Because...the thing is...he wasn't himself yesterday. He didn't do very well in practice and he canceled practice today, which is unlike him. So...the regulars and I sorta assumed that you had something to do with it...not that we're blaming you or anything."

Yumiko sighed. "...Let's just say it's my fault and leave it at that." She turned around. "I'll see you around Eiji-kun." Yumiko walked away quickly.

"Hey Yu-chan," Sho appeared. "I found the perfect pet and I-" His brow creased. "What's wrong?"

"Let's just go." Yumiko grabbed her brother's arm and walked out of the shop.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time Sho and Yumiko reached their father's apartment. After barging out of the pet shop, Yumiko tried her best to act natural and went around town with her brother. Despite Sho's worried, he simply put up a good front and tried to help his sister forget about what happened.

"I'm so tired." Yumiko said as she watched her brother put the key in the lock. "Thanks for taking me out Sho-nii."

"My pleasure." Sho answered. "It's not everyday we get to go out just the two of us. We should d- ei?" Sho pushed the door open. "It's unlocked."

"But didn't you lock it before we leave?" Yumiko asked, a little worried.

Sho nodded. "I did. You stay here." He was about to walk in when Yumiko grabbed his arm. Sho sighed. "Ok fine, you can come, but stay behind me and be careful."

The two siblings walked in quietly, in case there was someone else in the apartment. They walked silently down the hall, peeking inside the rooms.

"There's no one here." Yumiko whispered.

Sho placed a finger over his lips. Straining their ears, the two heard a voice and they instantly relaxed.

"It's just Dad." Sho sighed.

"That's exactly what's going to happen Hideki."

The two tensed. That voice was none other than their Uncle Wataru's. They listened in on the conversation.

"Seriously?" Their father, Hideki, asked his brother. "How can you gain more than ten million dollars in less than a month?"

Yumiko and Sho looked at each other. Even they have to admit that that amount of money is too large to gain in a month.

Wataru laughed. "Very easily, my dear brother. When you've got as many business enterprises and business partners as I do, you can get billions of dollars no problem."

"As long as you don't get another mark on your record, Wataru." Hideki remarked.

Wataru laughed again. "Mark? Who cares? When I get that ten million, I can just as easily buy myself diplomatic immunity here in Japan... and nothing's going to stop me."

The siblings looked at each other with worry.

"That's right, brother, absolutely nothing."

* * *

A/N: That's it for now. I'm still feeling a little depressed, but I'm happy that I managed to get this chapter out (which I sadly think is not as good as usual). I've been trying not to put in a cliffie, but for some reason it comes naturally to me. So sorry, guys.

Please review. It's guaranteed to lift my mood...)

Rai

* * *


	25. A Suspect Emerges

* * *

A/N: Hey hey hey. I'm back. Today's a good day, though I am a little pissed off. When I updated my other story, I put in another cliffie!!! (frowns) I can't write a decent chapter without putting in a cliffie and I think that that's one of my most irritating writing habits...sigh. I want to try and make at least one chappie without a cliffie, but it's hard...mou. If anybody can give me advice on how to stop it or lessen it, please do so. But for now, don't expect the next few chapters to be without a cliffie. Sorry guys!!!

Thanks to all those who reviewed especially the new readers. I know the last chapter didn't have much TanishaxFuji moments, there's one here...sort of. Please read and review.

I want to wish **riknata** good luck with her UPCAT. Thanks to **nekosaru**, who always wishes me good luck with school. To **crescent moon at midnight,** thanks for the hug (-hugs back-). To **Wingless-Crying-Angel**, thanks for the concern. A shout-out as well to **fightingpheonix36 **and **fujilovesme**.

By the way, this chapter is a continuation of the previous chappie, so it all happened on the same day.

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

Summary: To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC

Featured Song: (none)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 25: A Suspect Emerges**

**(Normal POV)**

Yasui Sarina suppressed a sigh and forced a smile on her face as she fussed with her patients, but despite the busy day, she still found her mind wandering.

The pretty doctor was worried. First there was Tanisha, who still refused to acknowledge her presence and her engagement to Akio, then there was her godson Keigo and his family, who were encountering problems with their many businesses, then there was Akio himself, who was very much troubled about his daughter.

But the one person that worried Sarina the most was her fianceé's newest business partner, Sasaki Wataru.

Sarina had to admit that the man was a natural when it comes to business and financing. He was skilled, professional and very experienced. Some part of her was amazed at the man's ability, but a huge part of her was still wary of him.

Sarina was a busy doctor, but she was still up-to-date with various political and business affairs. She was also very much up-to-date with Sasaki Wataru's business ventures especially since she started helping Akio out with his business deals with the said man. As much as she wanted to think that the deal they were making with him was worth it, she didn't trust the man. It was probably because she was suspicious of him, who wouldn't after finding about the numerous cases, lawsuits and accusations made against him?

Sarina was interrupted from her thoughts when one of the doctors told her to take a break. A glance at her watch told her it was already past 5 so she retreated to her office with a cup of coffee. She sat back on her seat and swept some of the paperwork to one side, not wanting to be reminded of work for a while.

She looked at the view out the window and sipped her drink. No matter how much Akio himself trusts the man, Sarina would be keeping a close eye on him.

The door suddenly burst open, startling her. A nurse appeared looking a little panicked.

"We've got a situation Doctor."

Sarina stood up and followed the nurse. This was a normal scenario, why was she so nervous? "No need to be worried my dear."

The nurse walked faster, surprising Sarina a bit with her restlessness. "It's not just any other patient when you see who he is, Yasui-sama."

* * *

Tanisha leaned back against the wall and resisted the urge to scream. She instead closed her eyes and settled for repeatedly tossing her head back and hitting her head against the wall.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." She kept on muttering to herself. "I'm so stupid."

She opened her eyes when she felt a hand on the back of her head, stopping her from hurting herself. She blushed to see Fuji hovering in front of her.

"Now now Tashi-chan," Fuji said as he pulled his childhood friend, and now girlfriend, away from the wall. "You should not hurt yourself."

Tanisha sighed, the blush ebbing away from her cheeks. "But still Sho-kun...Yumi-chan and Tezuka broke up because of me. What am I supposed to do?"

Fuji settled beside her and frowned a bit at their dilemma. After the St. Rudolph manager, what's-his-name, left Fuji had stalled from telling Tanisha the news. It resulted in a nice afternoon spent eating and chatting out at the patio, but ended up with her getting worried and trying to give herself a concussion.

Tanisha brought her knees to her chest and frowned, making Fuji frown as well. The tensai thought of a way to remedy the situation and stop Tanisha from being sad. He was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt Tanisha lean against him. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her.

"Mou...what are we going to do?" Tanisha asked, cuddling against him.

"Well..." Fuji went back to his thoughts. He unconsciously started running his hand through Tanisha's red locks. "We could talk to them."

Tanisha shivered a bit at what Fuji was doing, but answered. "Do you think that will make them get back together? They will probably apologize to each other, but I highly doubt they will get back together."

"You're right. How about we lock them up in a room together?"

Tanisha punched him softly on the shoulder. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

Fuji masked his amusement. "No." She gave him a look of disbelief. "Well...it might work." Tanisha shook her head and settled beside him silently.

"Now that I think about it," Fuji spoke up. "Although I would like to help them out...why are we talking about them instead of talking about _us_?"

Tanisha blushed. "U-Us?"

"Yes...us." Fuji leaned closer to her. Tanisha wanted to lean back but was stopped because of Fuji's arm around her. Fuji smiled at her. "Anything wrong with that?"

Tanisha gulped. "N-None." Although she was the first one to actually ask Fuji about being together, she didn't exactly mean for them to be too serious or anything. She finally came to terms about liking..._loving_...Fuji, but she was so...ok, he was getting a bit too close now.

Fuji paused just inches away from her and looked her straight in the eyes. Tanisha's doubts flew out the window at the look in his eyes and she smiled. He leaned towards her as she closed her eyes.

Closer...

Closer...

She could feel his breath on her face.

"AKI-CHAN!!!"

Damn it.

This is the second time!!!

Why can't people let them have just one little ki-

The two opened their eyes. Tanisha sighed as Fuji frowned. She could feel angry vibes coming off from her boyfriend. Tanisha gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and smiled apologetically.

Izabel ran up the staircase and skidded to a stop when she saw the mistress and her boyfriend sitting down in the middle of the hallway.

"What are you two- oh never mind." She immediately tossed them both their jackets. "Put those on quickly. We're heading to the hospital."

Tanisha and Fuji stood up. "Why? What's wrong Iza-chan?"

"A call came from the hospital." Izabel answered as she ushered the two down the stairs. "Something happened."

Tanisha's eyes widened. "Wha-"

"It's your father!!!" Izabel shouted. "He had an accident!!!"

* * *

Sho and Yumiko walked quickly out of the apartment and silently closed the door behind them. They quickly hid in a corner and watched from afar as their uncle walked out of the apartment.

"What's he up to this time?" Sho asked as their uncle disappeared in the elevator. The two walked out from the corner.

Yumiko frowned. "I don't know, but I have a feeling it isn't good."

"Or legal." Sho muttered under his breath.

"There you are." Their father Hideki walked out of their apartment. "What are you two doing there?"

"Um...Nothing." Yumiko shook her head at her father. "Um...Dad, why was Uncle Wataru here?"

Hideki sighed. "He was bragging about some business deal and telling me how important it is-"

_BRING...BRING..._

Hideki pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Hello?..Oh Chidori."

As their father talked to their mother, Yumiko and Sho walked into the apartment. The latter wasn't looking pleased.

"What the heck was he talking about?" Sho asked, mainly to himself, as they plopped down on the sofa. The older sibling bit his thumb as he thought about the conversation they eavesdropped on.

"Sho-nii, stop thinking about it." Yumiko said. "Thinking about it isn't going to help. Uncle Wataru's business doesn't concern you."

Sho shook his head. "Maybe, Yu-chan, but I can't stop this nagging feeling that something bad's going to happen."

"Yumiko." Hideki walked into the room, a frown was on his face. "Come on. We have to go."

Yumiko was confused. "Why?"

"Apparently, your mother got a call back at the house. It was something about the police wanting to talk to you. The police asked to see you right away."

* * *

Sarina walked out of the operating room. She wiped her sweaty brow and was about to sit down on one of the seats, when she heard a voice.

"Where is he?! Where's Dad?!" Tanisha appeared, with Izabel and Fuji behind her. The redhead ran towards the doctor, her face strewn with tears. "Is he ok? Please, is he all right Sarina?"

Sarina placed a hand on the panicking maiden's shoulder and smiled at her. "Calm down Tanisha. I just came out of the OR. Akio's fine. Their cleaning him up and closing up the wound right now." Sarina said, discreetly not mentioning the source of the wound in the first place. The doctor hid a grimace. If Tanisha only knew what really happened to her father...

"Oh my God!!!" Tanisha flung herself at the doctor and openly cried. She started chanting the three words again and again in relief. "Thank you so much. Thank you."

After a while, Tanisha composed herself. Sarina decided not to comment about how she reacted to save the maiden the embarrassment.

"What happened anyway? Why was Hamada-sama in an accident?" Izabel asked, as Fuji started muttering comforting words to Tanisha.

Sarina's face took on a grave expression. "I'm not really sure. I haven't heard anything yet." Sarina turned away and peeked through the glass to see the other doctors fussing around the unconscious Akio. Sarina didn't want to say it, but in her opinion this was no ordinary accident. In fact, she felt it was something more sinister.

* * *

Yumiko sat stiffly at the edge of the seat. She looked around her at the office and took deep calming breaths. Yumiko knew she didn't do anything wrong to be called on by the police, but she was still nervous as hell. She turned around in her seat when she heard the door creak open.

A detective walked in. Yumiko felt relieved when she saw who it was.

"Daisuke-sama." Yumiko sighed and bowed low to the detective. She and Daisuke were acquainted, as he was the one who always dealt with investigations related to Sasaki Wataru. Yumiko knew that the detective was, and will always be, suspicious of her uncle. She's fine with it though, as she also harbors resentment for her uncle who always seemed to complicate their lives.

Daisuke nodded and gave her a comforting smile. "You can calm down now, kid. We're not planning on arresting you."

Yumiko sank down at the chair, now fully at ease. "Thank you, Dai-sama."

Daisuke chuckled. "Come on, kiddo. Do you actually think we'd arrest a good girl like you? You've got nothing to worry about. We're only here to talk to you."

Yumiko nodded and smiled. "Sorry. I guess police business always makes me nervous. So...why do you need me?"

Daisuke's smiling face turned thoughtful. "Hey kid, you're a close friend of the Hamada heiress, aren't you?"

Yumiko looked taken aback but nodded. "Hamada Tanisha? Well...yeah."

"Have you been to her house?" Daisuke looked at her pointedly.

"Um...yeah, a couple of times." Yumiko nodded. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"Kiddo, you already know that I work on your uncle's cases." Daisuke paused as Yumiko nodded. "Other than that, I also work for the Hamada family." Yumiko looked at him curiously, but nodded again. Daisuke took a deep breath. "Apparently Hamada-sama was shot a few hours ago. We've confirmed it as attempted murder."

Yumiko gasped. "Oh Kami-sama... Is he ok? Did you tell Tanisha yet?"

Daisuke shook his head. "Hamada-sama is ok, but we still haven't told his daughter. We were told that she just received the news almost half an hour ago. It's better if we tell her when she's feeling a lot better."

Yumiko leaned back on her seat. "Oh my God..." She then turned back to the detective in front of her. "I don't mean to sound rude, but what does this have to do with me? Tanisha's my friend, but I could've talked to her-"

"Kid, we need you to identify who this is." Daisuke pulled out a folder from a drawer and handed it to her. Yumiko took it and opened the folder.

"This is..." Yumiko paused and looked up at Daisuke. "This is Izabel-san, Tanisha's personal maid. Why do you need to know?"

Daisuke sighed. "We received a tip off from an anonymous caller. Apparently..." He paused and took a deep breath. "This Izabel is the prime suspect."

Yumiko dropped the folder. "WHAT?!"

* * *

A/N: There. DONE!!! And the trouble's just begun!!! Wahahaha... The good news is that I've already plotted out how this is going to happen and how it's going to end up, so writing it will be a lot easier. The bad news is...you guessed it...lack of time.

Oh, for the hundredth time, sorry about the cliffie!!! Reviews and advice are highly appreciated.

Rai

* * *


	26. Tears

A/N: (sigh) Today's a good day!!! School's still bugging me, but I did get to watch "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". I won't say anything in case I spoil it for those who haven't watched it yet.

As usual, thanks to all those who reviewed. Please read and review this one.

To **riknata**, who I've missed a lot, good luck.

Random: Have any of you watched season 4 of Kim Possible? It only appeared here in the Philippines a couple of days ago and my younger cousins are psyched!!! They keep saying how cute it was that Ron and Kim kept calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend. Anyway, this is totally random, but I just wanted to dedicate this story to my dearest cousins, **Roan**, **Rica**, **Nadine** and the two absolutely kawaii babies, **Jared** (the only boy) and **Bea**. I know they won't be able to read this but I just want to say that no matter how much I tease them, I'll still endure hours of watching Kim Possible again and again with you guys. Love ya!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

Summary: To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC

Featured Songs:

Tears by: Aly and Aj (this is featured in the chapter)

Protecting Me by: Aly and Aj (I think it's a pretty kawaii song. Please listen to it.)

(see profile...)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 26: Tears  
**

**(Normal POV)**

Fuji walked out of the room where his girlfriend was staying with her father. To say he was worried would be an understatement. Despite his calm visage, Fuji was downright disturbed. He didn't want to admit it, but he was scared. Maybe not for him but for his girlfriend.

He peeked through the window and saw his girlfriend sitting on a chair beside her unconscious father's bed, holding his hand. He knew how frightened Tanisha was right now. Akio was the only family she had left. The thought of losing him would surely crush her.

He glanced at his watch and winced at the time. He hadn't noticed the time. It was already 10:30 in the evening and it was getting pretty late. Plus, he still haven't called Yuuta-kun and Yumiko-neesan.

"Fuji!!!"

Fuji looked up to see Hiro, Rin, Izumi and Nami approaching.

"We just heard the news on TV." Rin said, as she panted. "And we rushed right over."

"That's right, who cares about how late at night it is." The usually calm Hiro looked distraught. "How's Am-girl?"

The two of them peeked into the window.

Izumi shook her head. "That explosion sure was something."

Fuji's ears perked up a bit. He looked at her curiously. "What explosion?"

"You didn't know?" Nami asked. When Fuji shook his head, she shrugged. "I guess you've been with her all this time. Anyway," She looked at Fuji seriously. "We heard the news on TV saying that an accident happened to Hamada-san. They said it was an explosion due to a faulty wire that made his car overheat."

Fuji's eyes widened. "That would explain the burns on him."

Izumi nodded. "Yup. It was lucky though that Hamada-san was out of the car that time, though he was almost caught in the blaze. The driver, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky." She winced.

"It was a very unfortunate accident." Nami said.

Fuji nodded. "I know."

Silence followed.

"How is she?" Nami asked, a little awkwardly. She rubbed her arm and looked away.

Fuji knew how worried she was about Tanisha, but he was also sure that she was more worried about how she'd react when she saw her. The whole Takahisa thing still hasn't exactly been resolved.

Fuji smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's fine, but she needs her friends." He said, stressing the word 'friends'.

"She's really ok?" Hiro asked. "You know, about..."

Fuji nodded. "She's fine. She wouldn't want me to tell you this, but...she's scared. She needs you."

Izumi and Rin nodded. Izumi looked at her cousin. "Come on." She gave her a reassuring smile.

Nami took a deep breath and nodded. Fuji watched as all four of them walked in. He looked though the window and smiled when he saw Tanisha embracing all of them. A feeling of relief crept into him when he saw Tanisha embrace Nami tightly and broke down crying in her arms. He turned around, knowing that Nami would have everything under control.

"How's Aki?" Izabel appeared, handing Fuji a warm drink.

Fuji smiled and motioned to the window. Izabel smiled, seeing her mistress surrounded by her friends.

"She needs this right now." Izabel said. She turned to him. "By the way, I hope you don't mind, but I called Yumiko and Yuuta. I figured you'd be taking care of Aki."

Fuji sighed. "Thank you, Izabel-san."

"No Fuji." Izabel shook her head. "I should be the one thanking you for taking care of Aki."

Fuji glanced at Aki through the window and smiled softly. "It's no problem."

Izabel smiled at the tender look on his face. "Will you be staying here? Or should I get the driver to take you home?"

Fuji shook his head. "I'm definitely staying here."

"I knew you'd say that." Izabel laughed softly. "I'll leave Aki and Hamada-sama in your care, then. I'll just go back to the mansion and get some things. We both know Aki won't leave Hamada-sama's side until he's better or at least conscious." She sent her master and mistress a worried look.

Fuji nodded. "You can count on me."

"Excuse me. Hama Izabel?"

Fuji and Izabel turned behind them, only to be met with a pair of handcuffs thrust to their faces.

* * *

"I demand to know why you're arresting Izabel!!! I demand to know now!!!" 

Daisuke flinched as the redhead heiress started shouting angrily. "Hamada-san, please understand that this is for your own safety."

"Safety?! My safety?!" Tanisha shouted. "I'm safe with Izabel around and now you're taking her!!! On what charges?!"

Fuji placed a hand on Tanisha's shoulder, making her calm down slightly. Fuji looked at the detective coldly. "Please answer her. She has a right to know."

Daisuke ran a hand through his hair. He knew taking the maid wouldn't go well with the heiress. After taking the surprised maiden, Tanisha stormed out of her father's room, demanding to know where they were taking her. Her unkempt and disheveled appearance and the furious look in her eyes almost convinced Daisuke to forget about it and run but he didn't. Now here they were, still in the hospital and in Yasui-sama's office, with Daisuke trying to explain everything to the maiden who looked close to the point of annihilating him.

"Hamada-san-"

"Explain it to me right now!!!" Tanisha shouted. "My personal life is a mess! I didn't get my kiss! My father was burned! My friends are stressed out because I'm freaking stressed out! My boyfriend's worn out taking care of me! I'm bothering Sarina, the doctors and the other patients with my constant nagging! I'm tired! I'm sleepy! And, furthermore, I'm scared as hell! Now tell me what is going on!!!"

Fuji wrapped his arms around Tanisha. "Calm down, Tashi-chan. Calm down."

Daisuke took a step away from the maiden, as Fuji muttered calming words to her. "But-"

"We'll tell you the truth." Sarina said as she stood up from her spot on her table. She's been quiet since the beginning, contemplating if they should tell her the truth or not, but it was like Fuji said. "You have a right to know the truth." She motioned to Daisuke. "Bring in Izabel. She needs to be here."

Daisuke nodded and hesitantly stepped out. He came back with a hand-cuffed Izabel who quickly threw herself on Tanisha's feet, surprising the redhead.

"Aki, I swear I did not do anything to hurt Hamada-sama." Izabel pleaded. "You have to believe me. You're my only family. I could never hurt you."

Tanisha crouched down and brought Izabel up. "Iza-chan, I would never think that." Izabel simply looked away, a little teary-eyed. She, Izabel and Fuji sat down. Tanisha glared at Daisuke.

"Explain."

"Y-Yes." Daisuke quickly agreed. He's been in the police business for years. One would have thought that he had gotten used to this treatment, but for some reason she really scared him a bit. "We received a call from some anonymous person-"

"You got a call so you instantly decided to arrest Iza-chan?!" Tanisha flared up again. Fuji's hand shot out to grab Tanisha's and she recoiled.

"Tanisha, calm down." Sarina said. She gave Daisuke a look, clearly saying to leave it to her. Daisuke nodded.

Sarina took a deep breath. "Tanisha, what happened to Akio wasn't an accident." She paused, allowing it to sink in. She noticed Tanisha's hand grasp Fuji's tightly, as if already expecting the news. "The explosion wasn't an accident. Somebody tried to kill Akio." Tanisha and Izabel gasped and Fuji's eyes opened, alarmed.

"H-How did you know?" Tanisha asked shakily.

Daisuke pulled out a folder and laid out a few pictures on the table. "This was found with the remains of the limousine." Tanisha gasped, seeing the pictures. They were gruesome, showing the charred remains of the limo. Daisuke pointed at certain points in the pictures, showing them the remains of what was obviously a time bomb.

"Oh Kami-sama." Tanisha whispered to herself as she sank back on her seat.

Sarina glanced at the pictures but looked away quickly. A feeling of relief crept into her, relief that her fiancee was fortunately not in there.

"What happened to the driver?" Fuji asked, still staring at the pictures.

Daisuke wordlessly took a picture from the folder and showed it to Fuji. The teen grimaced and gave it back.

"He didn't make it out." Sarina said. Tanisha turned away and brought a hand to her eyes as Izabel got teary-eyed.

"W-When did it happen? E-Exactly?" Tanisha said, with a hand still over her eyes.

Daisuke cleared his throat. "Exactly 6:43 p.m., in front of Hamada-sama's office building. It was lucky that the bomb detonated when he was away from the car, but it was also unfortunate that he got caught in the fire."

"I-I s-see." Tanisha said. She finally brought her hand away form her eyes. She didn't look the least bit teary-eyed, only haunted. "S-So what does that have to do with Izabel?"

Izabel was the one who answered that. "It was about six o'clock when the driver fetched me and took me to the supermarket." She looked down on her lap and brought her hands together. "He dropped me off at about 6:15 and went to fetch Hamada-sama."

"So now they think you planted it there." Tanisha said monotonously. Izabel cringed, as well as Sarina and Fuji. The latter two knew that this wasn't good.

"Aki-sama," Izabel threw herself down on the floor and again on Tanisha's feet. Tanisha cringed at hearing the honorific used with her name. This was the first time Izabel called her that. "Please believe me when I say I didn't do it. I would never hurt Hamada-sama. I would never think of hurting him or you. Please believe me." She pleaded with tears running down her cheeks.

"I-I...I..." Tanisha looked into Izabel eyes. Fuji caught her eye and he looked at her. Realizing what she should do, she smiled. "I know you didn't do it, Iza-chan."

"Aki." Izabel smiled back through her tears. "Thank you."

Fuji smiled from beside Tanisha, proud of her. He knew that this realization was hurting Tanisha but she still managed to see clearly the people who really care about her.

"Ahem." Daisuke spoke up. "I'm sorry but even if Izabel-san still hasn't been proven as the culprit, she still needs to be taken."

Izabel stood up and faced him. "I don't care. As long as Aki, of all people, believes in me, I don't care if you take me because I did not do anything to hurt them."

Daisuke nodded. Still keeping a cautious eye on Tanisha in case she started flaring up again, he took Izabel and led her outside. Tanisha watched Izabel walk out. Izabel looked back one last time with a smile. She mouthed a 'Thank you'. When the door closed, Tanisha broke down for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

* * *

_**Big tears fall down like puddles**_

_**When something cuts it bleeds**_

_**Big storms leave towns in rubbles**_

_**Shore just recedes**_

"How is she?"

Sarina sighed as her godson appeared behind her. She kept on watching Tanisha and Fuji through the window of her office. The former was crying more so than usual. The idea of someone close to her attempting to hurt her was apparently too much for to take.

"Not very good Keigo." She told him. She turned to him and sighed at his worried look.

"How are you?" Atobe asked his godmother. "Are you ok?"

Sarina smiled, though her heart wasn't in it. "Shouldn't you be asking Tanisha that? Besides, I'm fine."

Atobe placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. "Sarina-san, it's ok to cry."

That was the last straw. Sarina's mask cracked and she finally allowed herself to cry, to let out all the pain and fear she was feeling of almost losing the man she loved.

_**Take some time to secure**_

_**A stream of water to occur**_

_**But crying is a way to know**_

_**Your tears are how you learn and grow**_

_**So better off to let it flow**_

_**Stains on cheeks will come to know**_

"It was my fault." Yumiko said. She finally gathered the courage to admit to her friends that she was the one who got Izabel into jail, now all she needed to do was tell Tanisha. "I hurt my very own best friend."

"Yumiko-san, it wasn't your fault." Seiichi said. He patted her hand. Sanada nodded from behind him.

"Yukimura-san's right." Izumi said as she slung an arm over her friend's shoulders. "Technically, you were forced." Heads nodded. Yumiko looked around at everyone, Seiichi, Sanada, Hiro, Rin, Izumi and Nami. Their words were a comfort, but if it didn't come from _him_, it didn't make her feel any better.

"Stop blaming yourself."

Yumiko's head shot up as someone walked in. Standing there, with the usual stoic look on his face, was Tezuka. He gave her a soft smile.

"Tezuka." Yumiko stood up and ran into his arms. She cried.

_**Heartaches and hopes for healing**_

_**Through the raining of your tears**_

_**You'll learn the pain you're feeling**_

_**(oooooooohhhh)**_

"Everything is going to be all right." Fuji said repeatedly to the crying girl in his arms.

Tanisha shook her head. "No, it's not. Dad's hurt and someone's trying to kill him. Now Izabel's a suspect...and I don't know if I should really believe her or not. What do I do? If someone's after Dad and then Dad dies-"

Fuji rubbed her back. "Tanisha, the first thing you need to do is calm down and think rationally. Akio-sama is not going to die. Believe me."

Tanisha looked up at him. Fuji rubbed away the tears and whispered. "Listen to me. Listen to me closely." Tanisha nodded.

_**Take some time to secure**_

_**A stream of water to occur**_

_**But crying is a way to know**_

_**Your tears are how you learn and grow**_

_**So better off to let it flow**_

_**Stains on cheeks will come to know**_

_**Tears**_

_**Tears**_

"Akio-sama is not going to die." Fuji whispered to her, looking her straight in the eyes and trying to lend her strength. "He's not."

Tanisha sniffed. "How do you know?"

Fuji smiled softly at her. "Because I believe that nothing bad will happen to him. Besides, he's safe now. He's here and even if he's injured, he's still alive. Keep remembering that."

Tanisha nodded slowly. "What about Iza-chan?"

_**There may not be more than one of you**_

_**Appearing to be by your side**_

_**But if the ones you still love are here**_

_**To fight against time**_

"Tashi-chan, do you really think Izabel-san would try and kill your father? Do you really think she would try and hurt you?"

After a moment, Tanisha shook her head. "No."

Fuji nodded. "That's right. No matter what anyone says, no matter what evidence they shove into our faces, we know Izabel-san cares about you, and it's not just her. You're not alone. There are people here who love you. There's Nami, Yumiko, Hiro, Rin, the whole Seigaku team, Atobe, Seiichi, and all the other people who are going to protect you.."

"And you?" Tanisha looked up at him.

Fuji smiled and held her close. "Especially me."

_**Take some time to secure**_

_**A stream of water to occur**_

_**But crying is a way to know**_

_**Your tears are how you learn and grow**_

_**So better off to let it flow**_

_**Stains on cheeks will come to know**_

_**Tears**_

_**Tears**_

"I am _never_ going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

* * *

A/N: There. Very dramatic, don't you think? I enjoyed making the chapter, although the drama got to me and made me a little depressed. But I think it turned out well, don't you? 

Anyway, I'll be needing your help everyone. I'm in a bit of trouble thinking of _the_ perfect song for a certain chapter in the future (not the next one, but it's getting near). It's a pretty dramatic one, so if any of you know a song that's...how should I say this...absolutely dramatic or heartfelt and really sad please suggest one. I might use it and give you a BIG shout-out and a hug for helping me.

Anyway, that's all for now. Please review.

Rai

* * *


	27. Solace

* * *

A/N: Guys, I am SO SO SO sorry for the late update!!! Things are going SO crazy here in school. Plus, I am so sorry to say this, but this will be the last chapter I'll be posting until further notice. (see profile for more details) I am so sorry guys, but my sched's packed tight. I was supposed to update this a long time ago, but our computer had to be reformatted which means that my original documents were erased!!! Arrggghh!!! So I had to type this one from scratch.

Thanks for all the reviews. Please read and review.

Thanks to those who suggested songs, **.bUnNiE.MaReLLiE.**, **nekosaru**, **fightingpheonix36**, **fujilovesme** and **Anime 300**. I might not be able to use the songs you suggested, but thank you nonetheless for your help. To **riknata**, a big THANK YOU and a huge apology for not updating and not being able to e-mail.

Disclaimer: I don't own POT. I only own my OCs and the plot.

Summary: To Fuji, the idea of falling in love was ridiculous. That's why he broke up with his first love. What will he do when he found himself falling for her again? FujiOC RegularsOC

Featured Songs: (none for now...)

* * *

"**Ballads of the Heart"**

**Chapter 27: Solace**

**(Normal POV)**

"I guess I don't have to ask you who you think is responsible for this, Yasui-san." Daisuke said as he handed a cup of coffee to the doctor. The detective sipped his own drink and joined her as she looked out the window at the clear night sky.

Sarina took a long sip of her drink. She then sighed and nodded. "We're thinking the same thing Daisuke-san." She placed the palm of her hand on the cold glass of the window. She could vaguely see her reflection on the glass, her unkempt hair and uniform and her eyes which were red and puffy from crying. She turned away from the window and leaned against it.

"So what can we do?" Sarina asked. "Because if you ask me, I am at a total loss on what to do." She gave a hollow laugh. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

Daisuke chose not to comment or comfort. One of them has to be strong and think clearly, seeing as both Sarina and Tanisha are in shambles at what was happening. "We can't arrest him based on suspicions alone, what we need first is evidence. But on another note, I think the first thing we should do is secure everyone who might get involved."

"Secure?" Sarina asked. Her mind seemed to be working slower than usual.

Daisuke suppressed the urge to sigh. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yasui-san, maybe you should take a rest first. It's very late."

"I guess you're right." Sarina said, glancing at her watch which showed that it was 11:30 already. "Thank you for the help Daisuke-san. You should take a rest as well."

He nodded. "Of course. Good night."

"Night." Sarina said and walked off.

The pretty doctor passed by the hospital rooms. She looked at every door she passed by. As a doctor, she has seen many people rejoicing over their recovery, mourning over their loss and some who were expecting good news or bad news. This was the first time she found herself included among them. All she could think of now was that someone was targeting Akio, and possibly even Tanisha, Fuji, as well as herself.

She passed by the very familiar door of Akio's specially-requested private room. She peeked in at the window and saw a crowd of people there. She knocked softly and walked in. There was Tanisha, Nami, Seiichi and Fuji, with the former sitting beside her father's bed and the latter three comforting her. There were Hiro, Izumi and Rin who were sitting down on the floor and talking softly. Her godson Atobe, was talking softly to Sanada, Yumiko and Tezuka, the latter two were holding hands tightly.

"Ahem." Sarina cleared her throat, gaining all their attention. "It's getting late. If you are here at this time of night, I assume you all have permission to be here. Tanisha needs some privacy and some much-needed rest." She pointed outside. "You can all stay at the room across the hall, but none of you are allowed to visit this room until noon tomorrow. Is that clear?"

The rest nodded and went out silently, bidding the doctor and Tanisha goodbye. Atobe placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and walked out with the rest of them. Seiichi was the last to walk out. He watched as Fuji gently coaxed Tanisha to lie down on the extra bed. As Fuji tucked the tired maiden in, Seiichi watched unblinkingly.

"Seeing her in this terrible state is awful, Yasui-san." He said softly. "She doesn't deserve this, nobody does."

"I know dear." Sarina said. Seiichi turned to her. "This is a traumatic experience for her, but there's nothing we can do. Can I count on you to be strong for her?"

Seiichi glanced at Fuji who was talking to Tanisha. "I think Fuji-san has everything worked out, but I will help in any way I can."

Sarina smiled gratefully. "Thank you, dear boy." Sarina walked off, but Seiichi said something to stop her.

"So what are you going to do about that Sasaki Wataru?" Seiichi asked.

Sarina turned to him, surprised. "How did you know?"

Seiichi shrugged. "I just heard about it."

Sarina looked at him closely and spoke cautiously. "We think he's most likely to have done it, but we don't know how or why. As of now, we're still thinking of a solution."

"Will it make you feel better if I say that many people also think that way?" Seiichi asked her. "My parents know a lot of people who are accusing him of being responsible for it. They told me about it."

Sarina smiled. "That helps a lot, dear. Tell me if you find out anymore news."

"I will. Goodnight, Yasui-san." Seiichi said.

Yasui nodded and walked off. "Night."

* * *

When Tanisha opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was white. The young maiden sat up, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Where am I?" She asked. Her eyes drifted over to the other bed beside hers. She looked at the frail form of her father, whose arms, chest and the half of his face was covered in bandages. Tanisha vaguely heard the sound of the door opening, but she ignored it and continued looking at her father. She only came to when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Tashi-chan." Fuji said, looking at her worriedly. The tensai placed the tray he was carrying on a nearby table and sat down on the chair beside her bed. "Tashi-chan, are you ok?"

Tanisha looked away form her father and looked at Fuji with a sad smile. "So it wasn't a dream, I hoped it was."

Fuji gazed at her with a sad smile of his own before taking both of her hands in his. "Come on." He said, trying to smile. "I brought you breakfast. You should eat and then, if you like, we can go see the others. They're in the other room."

Tanisha nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. Here." Fuji handed her the tray of food.

* * *

Outside the room, the others peered in at the scene.

"So, shouldn't we be doing something here?" Izumi looked at the rest.

Hiro voiced out what everyone didn't want to admit. "The only thing we can do is to comfort Aki-chan. We can't do anything other than that."

"Bummer." Izumi muttered under her breath.

The sound of footsteps was heard as Atobe walked towards them.

"How is Yasui-san?" Seiichi asked.

Atobe shrugged. "She's doing well, but she prefers to be left alone with the detective."

"I just thought of something." Nami said addressing the whole group. Everyone looked at her. "Whoever is responsible for doing this must be after something, right?" Everyone nodded. "Well, why try to kill Hamada-san?"

"I don't know, maybe he or she holds a grudge against Hamada-san." Rin shrugged.

"Yes, the rich and influential are not without enemies." Atobe agreed.

"I know that." Nami looked around at everyone. "The question is, why? If it's because he or she has a grudge against him, then no doubt he or she will be back to finish the job once news spreads that Hamada-san is alive, but why does he or she want to kill him in the first place?"

"There's the possibility that money is the reason." Sanada spoke up.

Seiichi nodded slowly. "I see your point. Crimes involving the wealthy are usually linked to money, if not to gain money then surely because of problems with money. Isn't that possible, Atobe-san?"

Atobe frowned in thought. "Well...that is a possibility..."

Yumiko looked around at all of them. "So what your saying is there are two options. It's either the crime was done because Hamada-san had a tiff with someone that involved money, or it's either it was done to get some money."

Izumi, who was still watching Tanisha through the window, spoke up. "Maybe killing Hamada-san would result in a sort of domino-effect." Izumi looked away from the window and was a bit surprised to see everyone looking at her. "What?"

"What do you mean by domino-effect?" Tezuka asked.

"Well," Izumi scratched the back of her neck. "I've watched a lot of those crime movies with my dad. Don't the rich people leave money in banks, you know, as an inheritance or pension or something? I mean, if Hamada-san died then Tanisha would inherit the money then she'll be kidnapped and forced to give up the money, but Hamada-san didn't die so maybe someone will be after Tanisha next. What do you think?"

Silence.

"What?" Izumi looked at all of them, annoyed.

"Kami-sama." Rin looked at her in shock. "You might be onto something."

Nami smiled and hugged her cousin. "Izumi-chan, you're a genius!!!"

Hiro patted her on the head. "Izumi you're growing up."

Atobe, Yumiko, Tezuka, Seiichi and Sanada were silent, lost in their thoughts.

"You know, she might actually be right." Atobe said slowly.

Sanada nodded. "It does make a lot of sense, especially considering the Hamada fortune"

Yumiko looked at all of them. "Well I think-"

"Out of my way!!!" Everybody turned to see Daisuke running towards them. "We've got news!"

* * *

They watched as Daisuke's assistant placed the CD into the computer. They were all gathered inside Sarina's office and were waiting to watch the video the police managed to acquire. Tanisha, Fuji and Sarina sat down directly in front of the computer, while the others waited outside after Daisuke and Sarina firmly forbade them to be in there. The rest of them don't need to be more involved than they already are.

Tanisha squeezed Fuji's hand. This was it. She knew that this was only a small piece of evidence but at least it was a step closer to finding out who tried to kill her father.

Daisuke looked at all three of them. "After Izabel-san said that she was dropped off at the supermarket, we investigated all the routes that Hamada-sama might have taken when he took her there. We also investigated the possible routes he had taken after that when he went on his way to the office. This video was captured from a building that Hamada-san passed by after he dropped off Izabel-san." He pressed the play button.

The three watched the video. The camera pointed directly at the parking lot of the building and gave them a view of the main road where someone was standing. After a while, a limo passed by. It stopped in front of the man and they watched as he opened the door and went in. Daisuke's assistant paused the video.

"That was the Hamada limo, wasn't it?" Sarina asked.

Daisuke nodded. He motioned to his assistant, who pressed the rewind and zoom button. The camera zoomed in to the scene, but it was hazy. After hitting a few keys on the keyboard, the image started clearing up until they got a clear view of a man wearing a hat and a long coat and was talking to someone on his phone. He was turning away from the camera so they could only see a part of his face.

"Can't you get a clearer view of that man?" Fuji asked. He glanced at Tanisha who was fixated on the screen and not speaking.

"Sorry can't." The assistant said.

They watched as the limo pulled up and the door opened. They got a quick view of Akio's face who nodded at the man and allowed him to climb in. The man climbed in and pulled the door close. The clip ended.

"So do we know who that is?" Tanisha asked.

Daisuke shook his head. "I'm sorry but not yet."

Sarina sighed in frustration. "Damn it."

"Can you rewind it?" Tanisha suddenly spoke up. "Rewind it to the part where we can see most of the man's face." The assistant complied. When Tanisha got a view of the man, she frowned.

"Is there something wrong Hamada-san?" Daisuke asked her.

Tanisha's brow furrowed. "He looks familiar. I feel like I've seen him before. What about you, Sho-kun?"

Fuji's eyes opened and he looked at the man closely. "Hmm...now that you mention it, he does look a bit familiar."

"What?" Sarina and Daisuke looked at them.

"Yeah. I have definitely seen him before." Tanisha said, mostly to herself. "Can we let the others come in? I want them to see this."

When the others came in and were given the chance to watch the clip and see the man, most of them had the same reaction as Tanisha and Fuji.

"Doesn't he look familiar?" Tanisha asked them. Yumiko, Tezuka, Seiichi, Sanada and Atobe nodded. Nami, Hiro, Izumi and Rin, however, shook their heads.

"You must all know him if he's familiar to most of you." Sarina looked at all of them. "Can't anyone tell us who he is?" When everyone shook their heads, she sighed and leaned back on her seat.

"Well, what's important right now is that you all try to figure out who he is. This is the only lead we have as of now." Daisuke said. Everyone nodded.

* * *

"Tanisha."

The redhead turned around just as she and her friends were walking out of Sarina's office. She stared questioningly at the person who called her.

"Do you need anything Sarina-san?" Tanisha asked politely.

Sarina motioned for the other people to leave the room and patted the other chair beside hers. Tanisha complied and sat down. She gave Fuji a small wave as he walked out with the others. It wasn't long until they were the only two in the room. Tanisha leaned back on her chair. Although she and Sarina have been more or less conversing since the incident, she still doesn't feel entirely comfortable in her presence. After all, what do you say to your future stepmother after your father (and her fiancée) was almost killed, especially since you made it clear in the first place that you didn't like her?

Sarina cleared her throat and Tanisha gave her her full attention. "I know that ever since the...engagement," Tanisha winced, which Sarina quickly noticed. "We haven't been on good terms." She smiled. "I just want to say that you have every right to be angry." Tanisha looked at her in surprise. "I know you feel betrayed and hurt and no matter how long you've known me, you can't help but loathe me for taking your Dad away."

Tanisha looked down on her lap. "It isn't that I loathe you, Sarina-san. I just...it's... I've known you since you became our doctor here in Japan and I..." She trailed off.

Sarina shook her head and leaned back on her seat. "I know how you feel. I went through the same thing."

"You did?" Tanisha looked up at her.

Sarina looked out the window. "My father died when I was sixteen and my mother remarried barely a year after that. Since I was a teenager, you can't imagine the kind of things I did to get over my father's death and to isolate myself from my family, my step-dad and my bestfriend, your mother Takara."

Tanisha gaped at her. "You knew Mom? But I thought...I mean, I..."

Sarina nodded. "Yes, I knew your mother Tanisha. We were best friends, almost sisters. We were both so busy with our careers that we rarely get to meet so it's normal that you didn't know." She shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "Anyway, I went through everything. I started smoking, drinking beer and doing drugs and I started going to all sorts of clubs and partying the whole night through." She looked at Tanisha. "I was fortunate enough to have Takara looking out for me."

Tanisha looked at the pretty doctor. Despite the tired and haunted look she had because of what happened to Akio, Tanisha can't deny that she was as pretty and as kind as ever. She can't imagine her doing all those things.

"What did Mom do?" She found herself asking.

A melancholy look crossed Sarina's eyes. "She was there through everything. She would keep my smoking in check. She would make sure I didn't overdose on drugs. She let me go to clubs and to go to parties and she was always there to take me home whenever I was too drunk. I owe her so much...so much."

As Sarina lapsed into silence, Tanisha looked at her with new eyes. She didn't know that Sarina and her Mom were bestfriends and she surely didn't know about this part in their lives.

"Anyway," Sarina snapped out of it. She looked at Tanisha. "I did all those things and Takara was there. She let me do what I want but she would always pull me back to the real world whenever I went too far. In the end, after two years of wrecking my own life, when I turned eighteen I devoted myself to studying. Takara supported me through it all and happily encouraged me to study hard until I ended up here." She motioned around the office. "I dedicated my studies to your Mom and I came to enjoy being a doctor."

Tanisha's eyes widened. "I remember." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "And you were the one who treated Mom when she got hit by the car." She whispered. The distant memory of a young doctor treating her Mom came back to her. "You were her. You were that doctor."

Sarina buried her face in her hands. This was the first time Tanisha has ever seen her so fragile.

"The feeling...the feeling of having your dearest friend's life in your hands and not being able to save it...that has got to be the worst feeling ever. It was the darkest time in my life." Sarina said, her voice cracking. "But you know what else?" She looked at Tanisha. "The worst feeling next to being incapable of saving your closest friend, is the feeling that you're betraying her by taking her husband."

Tanisha froze in her chair, speechless.

Sarina took a while to compose herself and then spoke. "When Takara died your Dad was broken, Tanisha, and so was I. He didn't blame me for being unable to save her. He actually thanked me for doing my best." She paused and took a deep breath before continuing on. "It was a dark time for both of us and we both lost in touch. I guess keeping in contact with each other brought back sad memories. We only got to talking when we met each other by accident last year."

"The next thing we knew, we were talking and meeting up and going out. He knew that my husband died but both of us were over our grief. In the end, I fell for your father."

Tanisha sat there in silence. What could she say to that?

Sarina seemed distressed at her silence. "You've got to understand, Tanisha, that I never meant for this to happen. I had my doubts. I didn't want to replace your Mom and I certainly did not want to marry my bestfriend's husband, even if she died many years ago. I was against it at first, but you've got to understand that I love your father."

Sarina looked at her seriously. "I do. I love him."

Tanisha simply kept her silence and looked back at Sarina. Everything was too jumbled up to take. She closed her eyes and instantly, it was as if a part of mind cleared up, allowing her to sort through everything she just heard. When Tanisha opened her eyes, everything shone at her with a new light.

"I...understand." Tanisha said.

Sarina looked at her. Relief broke through her features. "Y-You do?"

"Yes." Tanisha smiled. She looked down at her lap. Her old grudge against Sarina now seemed petty and embarrassing. "I-I get it now. I'm sorry for everything and all." She looked out the window. "Besides, if Dad moved on, maybe I should too. Mom would want me to move on."

"Thank you." Sarina said. Tanisha was surprised when the doctor suddenly reached out to her and embraced her. She closed her eyes for a second. It felt unfamiliar, but not in a bad way. In fact, she kind of liked it. It was like her Mom's hugs.

"Ok." Sarina pulled back and stood up. She turned around. Tanisha could vaguely hear her sniffing and saw her bring a hand up to her eyes. "You should be looking after Akio now."

"Yeah, I should." Tanisha stood up. The moment was awkward but she was sure it would get better. "Thank you." As Tanisha walked out, she could vaguely hear Sarina's words.

"No, thank you. It means so much to me."

* * *

When Tanisha walked out of the office, she immediately saw Fuji leaning against the wall, deep in conversation with someone. She was surprised to see who it was.

"Takahisa-kun?"

Said person looked up and gave Tanisha a small smile. Takahisa Kajimoto ran a hand through his hair.

"Um...hey... I...you know, I heard about what happened. Sorry." He said awkwardly.

Tanisha glanced at Fuji, who's face was unreadable, and gave Takahisa a nod. "I-It's ok. Dad's recovering."

"T-That's good." Takahisa looked at her closely. "So...are you ok?"

Tanisha shrugged. "Pretty much. Everyone's helping out."

Silence reigned.

"Sho-kun?" Fuji looked at Tanisha. "C-Can you let us talk...a-alone?" She looked at him closely, trying to send a message through her eyes. Fuji seemed to have gotten it. He gave Takahisa a nod, who nodded back, and walked over to Tanisha. He simply leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before walking down the hall, leaving the two alone.

Tanisha motioned to a nearby bench and the two sat down.

"So..um...I heard that you and...Fuji..." Takahisa said awkwardly.

"We're together? Yeah, we are." Tanisha finished for him.

Silence.

"Listen." The two said at the same time. They paused.

"You go first." Takahisa said.

Tanisha shook her head. "No. You go first."

Takahisa sighed. "Ok. Well...um...I'm sorry." He looked at Tanisha closely. "I'm sorry for forcing myself on you that night after our date. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about me going out with Nami-chan. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry I-"

Tanisha shook her head. "Don't apologize. I'm also to blame." Takahisa made to speak, but she talked on. "I was a spoiled brat. Just because I dated you once I forbade my friend from liking you. It was unfair of me and I'm sorry. I was confused and disoriented, but that's not an excuse to force Nami-chan to not like you. After all," She smiled at him. "What's not to like?"

Takahisa grinned. "Thanks Tanisha."

"So...am I forgiven?" Tanisha cocked her head to the side.

Takahisa chuckled. "Since when have I said no to you. Am I forgiven?"

Tanisha nodded. "There's nothing to forgive...although..." She looked at Takahisa seriously. "Are you really serious about her? Are you positively serious with Nami-chan?"

Takahisa's smile melted, to be replaced with a determined look. "Yes, I am."

"Good." Tanisha grinned at him. "If you hurt her...well, you're going to end up a lot worse than Dad." Takahisa simply chuckled at that. "So...what were you and Fuji talking about earlier?"

Takahisa rubbed the back of his neck. "He apologized for hitting me that time at the hospital and he said he would only forgive me if you forgive me first."

Tanisha looked surprised but Takahisa simply smiled and stood up. "Let's go. Everyone's waiting."

The two walked past Sarina's office, when Takahisa suddenly paused.

"Takahisa-kun?" Tanisha looked at him. She watched Takahisa walk inside Sarina's office. "Takahisa-kun?" She followed after him. Tanisha peered into the office. Sarina was already gone, but it would be wrong to be here. She saw Takahisa staring at the screen, where the video was still paused at the image of the man.

"Hmmm..." Takahisa looked thoughtful. "Hey Tanisha?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is Chef Al in this video?"

* * *

A/N: That's all for now. I'll try to update as soon as I can. I promise.

Please R&R.

Rai

* * *


	28. Trust, Truth and Tears

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm back and honestly, it feels really, really good. I'm sure you all read the message (although if you still haven't, you can check put my profile which needs to be updated and soon), so I won't be going on and on, but I want to apologize and thank you all one last time.

I apologize for being so confusing, saying I'm going to rewrite when I'm going to continue and blah blah blah, and I thank you all for still having my story on Alert and Faves and for taking the time to read this chapter.

Thank you as well to the people who sent me PMs and reviewed after I made the announcement. It means a lot to me. A would like to give a special shout-out to two special people, **bellenibeau1125** and to **yutasgirlfriend**.

Anyway, enough of that. I'm here giving you the much-prolonged and much-awaited chapter twenty-eight of "Ballads of the Heart".

Enjoy!

RaiPhoenix015

* * *

**Chapter 28: Trust, Truth and Tears**

**Normal POV**

**Car #1 **

Fuji nervously tapped his hand against his thigh as the police car sped through the roads. He still couldn't believe what the heck was happening.

"Tashi-chan, what have you gotten yourself into?" He muttered to himself.

Yumiko and Tezuka, who were sitting on the back of the car with him, glanced at each other. None of them had anything to say to comfort the light-haired tensai, not now when he was most on edge than he ever was.

And why was he on edge?

Because Tanisha disappeared, right after finding out from Kajimoto Takahisa who the mystery man was.

Up front on the passenger seat, Sarina gripped the edges of her seat, her mind in turmoil. She was caught in between worrying about the maiden and thinking about how incredibly stupid she was being at the moment. But being worried won out and Sarina found herself fervently praying and hoping that Tanisha wouldn't even think of barging in there and doing anything that would put her in danger.

"Please hurry, Daisuke-san." Sarina said to the police officer. "We have to get there before something bad happens to Tanisha."

* * *

**Car #2**

"Damn it!" Takahisa pounded a fist on his leg. "I should've stopped her! She's been gone for almost half an hour now! Damn it!"

Nami placed a hand on his arm. "It wasn't your fault, Takahisa-kun. Stop blaming yourself."

"She's right you know." Hiro spoke up from the front seat. He didn't bother turning around as he was busy scanning the road. That was the only thing keeping him sane and keeping out morbid images of Tanisha- Well he didn't even want to finish that thought.

"After that episode with Izabel, Am-girl couldn't take another close friend being blamed, or possibly being responsible, for Hamada-sama's accident." Hiro said. "It's understandable why she would fly off the handle after you told her that that was Chef Al."

"Don't worry." Rin spoke up, peering out the window and counting down how many blocks left to the Hamada mansion. "We're almost there."

"Good." Hiro said, balling his hand into a fist. "We'd better get there soon and stop that man before he does anything to Tanisha."

* * *

**Atobe's Limo**

"I cannot believe Chef Al could be the one responsible for all this." Izumi said, bouncing up and down on the seat.

Atobe nodded. He was looking nonchalant but everyone could feel how worried he was. "Ore-sama has always been under the impression that that chef was loyal to Aki-chan."

"Then again, it's either him or Izabel-san." Sanada spoke up, frowning. "And I don't believe she could be responsible for such a thing seeing how devoted she is of Aki-chan."

_BRING…BRING…BRING…_

"I apologize." Seiichi piped up and fished out his phone from his pocket. "Who could be calling at this hour?" He frowned at the unknown number but answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

The three watched Seiichi's forehead crease in thought as he listened to the person on the other side. He hung up, his face emotionless.

"We have to get to the Hamada mansion before everyone else. It's urgent."

Izumi frowned but looked out the window and after identifying where they were, leaned forward and tapped the glass separating the passengers from the driver. "Driver, turn at the next corner. I know a shortcut." She turned to him. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

Seiichi nodded. "Yes, just get us there quickly."

* * *

_BAM!_

The maids and butlers of the Hamada household were surprised to hear the sound of the opening door. They were very worried after what happened on the attack on their master but they had nothing to do. They can do nothing but manage the house as usual in hopes that their master and the heiress would come back and everything would go back to they way it was. But after hearing about Izabel, they were in fear that the same thing would happen to them. In short the usually organized and happy household was in chaos.

They were about to check who came when a loud shout resonated through the mansion.

"CHEF AL!" Tanisha shouted. "I WANT TO TALK TO YOU! NOW!"

The heavy-set chef ran into the living room. He smiled with relief once he saw his young mistress. "My deer Akee! Eet's nice to see that you're back! How ees Hamada-san?"

"Like you don't know!" Tanisha shouted, her voice hoarse, her throat hurting, her eyes watery and her body in pain, from all the shouting and crying she had done. She wiped the tears away angrily and pointed an accusing finger at the man in front of her.

"My deer Akee, what are you talking about?" Chef Al's eyes were wide, clearly registering shock.

"You!" Tanisha shouted. The young maiden was so distressed that she didn't notice that some of the people in the house were watching. She also didn't notice the driver of her limo walking in the door.

"You were the one who planted the bomb that almost killed my father!"

Everyone gasped and Chef Al paled.

"NO! I-I…It wasn't me! Aki! I swear!" He shouted.

"LIAR!" Tanisha almost jumped on the man, had the driver not grabbed his young charge by the waist. "YOU! I HATE YOU!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I-I thought that you…that I could trust you! But you…I HATE YOU! YOU ALMOST KILLED MY FATHER!"

"Aki-sama." One of the maids spoke up nervously. "Chef Al couldn't have done it."

Tanisha rounded on her. "WHAT!"

She squeaked. "I-I mean…Um…Ano…"

Tanisha glared at her venomously. "What the hell is it!! Do you expect me to believe that Izabel did it! He was the last one to be with Dad, apart from the driver! And of course, you don't expect me to believe the driver killed himself by planting the damn bomb there! So, whose left?!"

One of the older maids stepped up. "What we're saying, Aki-sama is that…well…um…"

Tanisha looked at all of them, stopping to stare at Chef Al. "Give me a reason, just one reason in the world, as to why I should even listen to all of you."

Chef Al sighed, removing his toque. He opened his mouth and spoke, not in his fake French accent, but with his actual American tongue. "That's because you have always trusted us, Aki-sama. Your accusation is painful but we have never EVER given you a reason not to trust us…have we?"

Tanisha fell limp and quiet in the driver's arms.

"I'm taking that as a yes." A voice spoke through the sudden silence. "Maybe I can explain everything much better than they could."

Tanisha turned to see someone walking into the living room.

* * *

**(25 minutes later)**

Seiichi strode out of the limo quickly, the others trailing behind him.

"Seiichi! Wait!" Izumi shouted, running after him with Sanada and Atobe. "Wait up!"

Seiichi ignored her. He opened the front door and walked in. The others followed cautiously. The three were met with a surprising sight.

"It took you long enough."

"Cut the chatter and tell me what you're doing with her." Seiichi said angrily, glaring at him.

"It's ok." Tanisha spoke up. Everyone was surprised at how emotionless she seemed. "Mizuki told me everything."

"About what?" Sanada, Atobe and Izumi asked. Seiichi simply nodded a look of defeat on his face.

"I'm sorry, Aki-chan." He said.

"It's fine." Tanisha said. "Mizuki, you'd better tell them everything." Mizuki nodded at her. "Seiichi-kun, please watch out for Sho-kun. If I know him, he might jump to conclusions." Tanisha stood up and walked out of the room. After a while, they heard the sound of sobbing.

"So?" Izumi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at the St. Rudolph manager. "What the hell is going on?"

* * *

**(5 minutes later)**

"What the hell is going on here?!" Fuji shouted, after seeing Mizuki Hajime and Chef Al in conversation with Seiichi and the others.

"Sit down and we'll tell you." Izumi shouted back at him. Her face registered shock, disbelief, anger, weariness and sadness all at the same time.

"This had better be good, cousin." Nami said.

"And where's Tanisha?" Sarina asked.

"She's fine…um…shocked, that's all." Seiichi said.

Izumi snorted. "With a story like this, you can pretty much get why she's shocked."

Some of the others sat down but Fuji and Takahisa remained standing, both males still on edge.

"So?" Fuji asked.

Mizuki glared at him. "Jeez, here I am helping you and this is the thanks I get." He shrugged. "Ah well, it isn't as if I expected anything else." Chef Al cleared his throat loudly. "Well, let's get to the point. I know who tried to kill Hamada-sama."

Everyone shouted one word. "WHO?"

Mizuki rubbed his ears. "Excited much?"

Fuji was in no mood for games. "Spit it out Mizuki!"

Mizuki held up a hand. "Ok. Ok." He took a deep breath, his face turning serious. "The truth is I myself didn't believe it at first." He looked around at all of them. "The one who killed Hamada-san is…"

* * *

Tanisha sat down beside the pool and buried her head in her hands. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. But Mizuki's story fits. 

"Why?" Tanisha sobbed. "Why did this have to happen?"

"It just did."

Tanisha stood up and whirled around. Her eyes widened. "You! How did you get here?"

"I have my ways. Now, I don't really want to hurt you but if you don't come with me, I won't hesitate to hurt that pretty face of yours."

"How dare you!" Tanisha stepped back. She looked around, trying to find a way out. But behind her was the pool and she can't make any fast moves, not with the gun being pointed at her.

The next thing she knew a handkerchief was forced over her mouth and nose. She breathed in a nauseating scent before falling limp. The last thing she saw was an image of a sneering-

* * *

"Izabel!" 

Mizuki rubbed his ears. "You know, this shouting out loud together thing is getting really painful in the ears."

"H-How?" Sarina looked at him in shock. "I-I mean, it can't be her!"

"Oh, but it is." Mizuki said shaking his head sadly.

"What proof do you have of this?" Takahisa asked.

"Yeah, I mean…Izabel?" Hiro spoke up. "She's devoted to Am-girl."

"She's been serving Tanisha for a long time." Yumiko said. "And she hasn't done anything before this. Why now?"

"Because," Mizuki looked at Yumiko. "Because of Sasaki Wataru."

Everyone glanced at Yumiko, who didn't even cringe. Instead, she sat back and frowned.

"What's he done this time?"

"Well, to explain it clearly, we'd have to go back." Mizuki pulled out a folder and tossed it across the table. Sarina and Fuji looked at each other before Fuji nodded, allowing her to take it first.

"Hama Izabel isn't the person all of you, and especially the Hamada family, thought she was." Mizuki started. He cleared his throat and spoke fast. "She was born here in Japan and grew up in an orphanage because her parents pretty much didn't want her. And of course, that resulted in a traumatic growth. At the age of seven, she ran away from the orphanage and did a living by stealing. It was usually small things, like bread and milk and a few things to eat, but it went wrong when she accidentally killed a vendor."

"What happened?" Nami asked.

"She tried stealing the guy's wallet but he retaliated. She pushed him and he ended up in the road with a truck barreling at him and then, SPLAT!" Mizuki sighed. "She escaped but she knew she couldn't stay. Fortunately for her though, no one could identify that it was her fault. She thought she was safe but someone witnessed the whole thing."

"Oh no." Hiro shook his head. "Don't tell me."

"Yup, it was Sasaki Wataru. Well…one of his men at least. They decided that they could use someone like her. They took her and told her that they would give her to the police if she didn't work for them. She accepted, especially since she would be well-fed, paid and with a roof over her head. In just four years she managed to become Wataru's top spy."

"At the age of 11?" Rin gaped.

"Yup. She was a kid, and with those big puppy dog eyes and pouty lips she can get any information she wants. Plus Wataru happens to favor her…and I don't mean just with a job, I mean the whole package."

"Ew! That is sick!" Nami scrunched up her nose. "Child abuse!"

"Hey, she wasn't complaining." Mizuki shook his head. "Anyway, if you all remember, Tanisha used to live here in Japan and back then Hamada-sama was already a big-time businessman and Wataru set his sights on him. When Izabel was thirteen, she heard news that the Hamada family was moving to America. Wataru thought that if Hamada-sama moved there, no doubt he might grow to be even more powerful and with the Atobe family already reigning in Japan, he would eventually be defeated."

"Wait a sec," Nami spoke up. "So in short, Izabel became Tanisha's personal maid just so Wataru could spy on him?"

Mizuki nodded. "When they heard that the Hamada family was going back to Japan, that's when Wataru thought about the whole working with Hamada-sama business deal thing and the bomb-"

"What's the deal with the bomb anyway?" Nami asked.

Mizuki frowned. "As far as we know Izabel was the one who planned it."

"How?" Takahisa spoke up with his chin in his hand. "Chef Al was the last one to be seen with Hamada-sama. No offense Chef."

Al shook his head. "None taken." He looked and frowned. "The thing is I've been a part of the family longer than her. And when she first came in here, well, I and the rest of the staff tried to treat her as one of us but she's always expressed the fact that she was different from us. With the kind of attitude she displayed, it didn't take us long to dislike her, however unfair it may seem to gang up against a child. We really didn't want to get her into trouble and besides, she was Aki-chan's personal maid and that made her virtually untouchable."

"Anyway, with the bomb. Izabel has always been very detail-oriented and a stickler for a schedule, and I'm not talking about the normal kind, I mean the VERY VERY kind of detail-oriented. I won't be surprised if it was her fault."

"Hmm… Ore-sama has a question." Atobe spoke up. "Why?"

"Pardon?"

Fuji nodded. "He's right. Why did they do it? The whole try-to-blow-up thing? What are they going to get with killing Hamada-san? I mean, he has the money. Why kill him?"

Mizuki shook his head. "Well, that's what we-"

"Maybe that's because they weren't trying to kill him." Everyone turned to Izumi. The girl in question looked thoughtful. "I mean, if Izabel-san was that detail-oriented, then maybe they…maybe they planned it in a way that they knew he would get hurt, but not blow up and-"

"Mizuki-sama!"

Everyone turned to the large bodyguard who came barreling in. Mizuki was on his feet in an instant.

"Where is she?"

"She's gone, Mizuki-sama. Somebody must've taken her." The bodyguard answered.

"Tanisha?" Fuji looked at Mizuki, but the latter ignored him.

"Is the tracker on?"

The bodyguard nodded. "Hai. We have to hurry."

"Get in the cars!" Mizuki shouted. "We have to get Tanisha back!"

* * *

"Damn it! How the fuck did they manage to follow us?" Izabel exclaimed, looking out the window of the backseat of the car and pulling her gun out of her thigh holster. 

"What're we going to do boss?" Izabel's lackey, Shouta, asked while steering the car through the roads.

Izabel glanced at the unconscious body of the heiress draped over the front seat of the car. "First of all, we have to get the fuck out of here. Getting this kid to the boss is our first priority."

_RING…RING…RING…_

Izabel pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Fuck! Who could be calling at this damn hour? Shouta!" She placed the phone over her ear all the while shouting orders. "Turn at the next corner! We know this place better than those idiots do! Lose them in the woods!"

"_Izabel."_

Izabel froze, recognizing the voice. "Wataru-sama, what-"

"_What's going on?" _Sasaki Wataru's voice filtered out of the phone clear and strong. _"You're behind schedule."_

"I-I apologize." Izabel peered behind at the window and grimaced at the sight of three squad cars on their tail. No doubt more were coming. "But we're tailed."

"_Don't worry dear. Just get to the meeting point. Once you're there, you can leave the men to do the dirty work and get the girl to me."_

"Yes, Wataru-sama." Izabel affirmed. "The girl is top priority. I understand."

"_Very good Izabel. That is why you're my favorite agent -CLICK"_

Izabel smirked after stowing away her phone. Wataru-sama is counting on her and failing is not an option.

* * *

Tanisha woke up when she felt herself being thrown down harshly. She groaned. 

"W-Where am I?"

"Oh don't worry kid; you're fine… at least, until the boss gets a hold of you."

Tanisha sat up and rubbed her head. She looked up and saw the blurry outline of a certain person.

"You!" Tanisha shook her head, effectively clearing her vision. She scowled at the person before her.

"Yeah, it's me." Izabel said, tapping the steering wheel in front of her. "Now you be a good girl and let me take you to the boss."

Tanisha bit her tongue, keeping silent. She wasn't about to give Izabel the satisfaction of knowing how furious as well as scared she was.

"Aw." Izabel cooed, leaning forward and tapping Tanisha on the nose. "Is little Aki-chan giving big mean lying Iza the silent treatment? Well, trust me toots, I don't really give a damn." Izabel turned away from her captive and looked at her rear view mirror. She turned the key in the ignition. Tanisha noticed the gun poking out from a thigh holster and a knife on the dashboard.

"Anyway, before we go let's just say your little tracker didn't work." Izabel showed Tanisha a small silver metal similar to a dime. "Didn't you know that hiding it in the soles of your boots is like the oldest trick in the book? Talk about an amateur."

Tanisha kept quiet. She sure as hell didn't put the tracker in. An image of a certain conniving evil St. Rudolph tennis player flashed in her mind and she hoped that they had pinpointed her position well enough before Izabel had destroyed it.

"Oh." Izabel spoke up, as if reading her mind. "And if you're hoping that they've found you, let's just say they're all pretty busy dealing with something else."

That's when Tanisha heard the sound of gunshots.

"No." The word escaped her lips in a desperate tone before she could stop herself.

Izabel smirked at her in triumph. "Yeah well, while the men are keeping them busy, I'll just sneak away and take you to the boss. Luckily for your friends, Wataru-sama was kind enough to instruct the men not to kill them…that is unless the situation calls for it." Izabel smirked and Tanisha instantly caught on that no fair amount of warning, even from the boss, was about to keep them from killing. "So no fast moves missy, or everyone, even your precious boyfriend, is dead."

"Sho-kun." Tanisha's eyes widened and she buckled down on the seat in silence. She kept a wary eye out for any opportunities of escaping, although the chances were slim to none.

Izabel checked the rear view mirror and then turned the key in the ignition. She drove the car forward and was about to drive into a path in the forest when-

_BAM!_

"What the fuck-" Izabel ducked down and pulled out her gun. "How the fucking hell did they manage to find out… YOU!" She turned to Tanisha and grabbed the girl by the collar. "If you're wearing a freaking wire, I swear I'll-"

_BAM!_

Tanisha tried to pry off the fingers that were almost choking her. "I-I didn't…I don't…"

_BAM!_

"Hama Izabel!" Daisuke's voice rang out from a megaphone. "We've got you completely surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

Izabel fixed Tanisha with a last venomous glare before grabbing her arm. "You're coming with me." She grabbed the knife, took out her phone and struck the weapon at it, effectively destroying it. Pulling it out with a snarl, she dragged Tanisha out of the car.

"I'm coming out detective!" She shouted. "And if I were you, I'd order your men to lower their guns." She pulled Tanisha against her, using her body as a shield, and held the knife against the damsel's throat. She prodded Tanisha forward until the two of them could fully see the situation.

There were three squad cars ahead of them and two more were coming in from the back. Police were everywhere and so were Fuji, Sarina, Mizuki, Takahisa and Seiichi; the others being ordered to stay behind at the mansion. Guns were pointed at them at first but were lowered when they saw the two of them.

"Tanisha!" Fuji's voice rang clearly amidst the sudden silence.

"Syuusuke!" Tanisha cried back, only to be silenced when she felt the blade digging into her neck.

"Stand back, kid." Daisuke said, holding back Fuji by the arm.

"Shut up." Izabel whispered into her ear. She turned to the crowd and shouted. "So? What now?"

Daisuke steeped forward, hands raised. "Izabel, stop this. This isn't worth it. Just let go of Tanisha and surrender peacefully."

"Not worth it?" Izabel laughed. "Oh, it's worth it. It's worth every year I spent in service to this spoiled brat and her idiot of a father. It's worth having to travel abroad and away from Wataru-sama. Because once I pull this off as planned, Wataru-sama is going to be so happy."

"Izabel." Sarina stepped forward. "Please listen. Sasaki Wataru is a criminal. Just give up and help us stop him and we can just say you were following orders. Let's not resort to this madness."

"Oh shut up!" Izabel shouted. "If Wataru-sama is a criminal then what do you call me? I lied to people. I stole from people. I fucking killed people who stood in Wataru-sama's way! And this kid-" She pressed the blade deeper into Tanisha's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Is going to help Wataru-sama in his plans. I have no plans of killing her, but if I'm going down…" She turned the blade so that it was pointing at Tanisha's neck. "I'm taking her with me."

She raised her arm and brought it down.

"NO!" Fuji shouted, running forward.

But amidst Izabel's ranting, Tanisha had managed to grab onto the gun. Closing her eyes, she raised it.

Miraculously, the handle made contact with Izabel's hand.

Izabel watched with wide eyes as the knife flew up. She wasn't able to move before Tanisha had whirled around and pointed the gun at her forehead.

"D-Don't move!" Tanisha shouted, her voice just as shaky as her inexperienced hands. "D-Don't move or…I-I'll shoot you!"

"I'd like to see that happen." Izabel murmured and the next thing everyone knew, she lunged at the girl.

"Tanisha!" Fuji ran, with some of the others in tow, as fast as he could to the two struggling females. He arrived just in time to grab Izabel before she managed to choke Tanisha to death. With the help of Daisuke, Takahisa and two policemen, they hauled her struggling form off and pinned her down.

Sarina and Seiichi bent down at Tanisha's level. "Honey, my God, are you ok?" She inspected the girl's neck, relieved to see only a few dark marks, a cut on her neck and that no serious damage was done.

"Y-Yeah…I-I'm fine." Tanisha said, crawling close to Seiichi and holding her bleeding left shoulder, where Izabel clawed at her with her fingernails. "J-Just please get her away from me!"

"My pleasure." Daisuke pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Hama Izabel, you are being arrested for the attempted murder of Hamada Akio and the kidnapping of Hamada Tanisha." He reached down to cuff her.

But unlike most stories, this one was not about to end with a successful arrest.

Daisuke bent down, only to be met with a knife stuck to his chest.

Daisuke uttered a cry of pain as Izabel smirked devilishly up at him and stuck the weapon in deeper. Both in shock, Takahisa and Fuji loosened their holds on her arms, giving her enough time to also stab one of the other policemen. Bloody and breathing hard, Izabel gave one final lunge and grabbed the fallen gun from the ground. She whirled around, pointing it at the people, precisely at a certain redhead.

Izabel looked at all of them. The bloodthirsty look in her eyes, the smirk playing on her lips and blood on her face and arms gave her the exact image she was wanted them to see.

The image of a killer.

Tanisha couldn't believe that this criminal in front of her was the same person who cared for her for years and who she considered a trusted friend.

Izabel only had one thing to say.

"Bye-bye."

Three shots were heard.

Three bodies fell.

A scream reverberated through the air.

Then, all was silent.

* * *

**A/N:** So how was that? Was it good? Bad? Awful? Brilliant? Or whatever? You can press that button over there; the one marked 'Review', and tell me all about it. I'd really appreciate it.

In actuality, I squished in two chapters into one, so if it seems a bit rushed, I apologize deeply. I also want to say that after this there are only two more chapters left before the story ends.

By the way, if anyone can guess who the three people are, they will receive a special guest participation slash cameo appearance in the next chapter entitled, "Come Back To Me" a.k.a. "Your Guardian Angel". So take a guess...

Thank you all for your support and for all the love. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

RaiPhoenix015

* * *


	29. Come Back To Me

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, I know it took me so long to update and I apologize. I just had a major writer's block about how I was going to do this thing, but I finally did it. I don't know if you guys are going to love this, since it's so melodramatic and I don't know, maybe exaggerated or whatever, but I love this chapter. I guess I'm just being emotional or whatever. 

By the way, unfortunately no one managed to guess all three people. So, sorry but no one gets to be in the fic. But thanks to those who tried.

And thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter.

Anyway, enough of that. I hope you guys enjoy chapter twenty-ninth of "Ballads of the Heart".

To:**Narutodaisuke93**,

The time I received your review was the time I was editing this. Hope you like it.

To:**bellenibeau1125**,

As always this is for you.

To:**aikoflutist247**,

Thanks for the comments. I appreciate it.

**Extras:**

Parts of some songs were used in this chapter, namely from the following:

Gone by NSYNC

When I Said Goodbye by STEPS

I Will Be by Avril Lavigne

Angels Cry by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

On My Own by Lea Salonga

How Do I breath by Mario

Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

Enjoy!

Don't forget to review!

RaiPhoenix015

* * *

**Chapter 29: Come Back To Me****a.k.a.****Your Guardian Angel**

**Normal POV**

Everything was a blur.

Fleeting faces.

Ephemeral visions.

Distant sounds.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

_BANG_

Tanisha's head snapped up and her eyes cleared, showing her the vision of the hospital's white-tiled floor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, leaning back on the wall.

"Hey."

The redhead looked up and smiled weakly.

"Hey."

Seiichi placed a jacket over her shoulders. "Come on. You need to get some sleep."

Tanisha looked out of the window, avoiding his eyes. "I'm not tired."

"You don't really expect me to buy that, do you?" Seiichi said softly and leaned on the wall opposite her. After a few moments of silence, he spoke. "What are you thinking?"

Tanisha kept silent for a moment, and then answered. "I don't know." She placed a hand on the glass and saw her vague image on it. "You'd have thought I would be thinking about...about it all, but I'm not…I guess I've gotten tired of thinking too much. Thinking too much can get to be too confusing…"

"…too painful." She added in a whisper.

Seiichi walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "They will get through this, you kno-"

Tanisha shook her head. "Don't say it, because if you do I might start hoping and believing empty words."

Seiichi could only watch with worry as Tanisha walked away.

* * *

_Was it something I said_

_To make you turn away?_

_To make you walk out and leave me cold_

_If I could just find a way_

_To make it so that you were right here_

_Right now_

* * *

"You know what, you are incredibly stupid." 

Tezuka looked up. "And why do you say that?"

Yumiko sat beside him on the bench, avoiding his eyes. She looked out across the hospital grounds.

"You know, it took me a while to find you." She leaned back on the bench. "What are you doing out here?"

Tezuka leaned back as well and avoided looking at her, however much he wanted to. "I don't like hospitals, and I needed the fresh air… What happened was…too much to take in at once."

"I see."

* * *

_  
I said too much, went way too far_

_It's only now, now we're apart_

_That I can see I was wrong_

_And you're where I belong_

_So please don't make me cry_

_I know you don't believe it,_

_But I really didn't mean it_

_When I said goodbye_

* * *

"What did you mean by what you said?" Tezuka asked after a moment's silence. 

Yumiko looked down at her lap and shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just…I need you and…" Tezuka turned to look at her. "And I guess what happened scared me." Yumiko's hands shook as she spoke, and her voice dropped to a whisper.

"W-What if…it was you? W-What if you were the one…who got shot?"

Tezuka's eyes widened but then a soft and fond smile appeared on his lips. "You were worried about me." He said.

Crystal tears fell on Yumiko's hands. "Of course I was!" Her voice rose and she kept her head down. "I-I…I didn't want you to go! But I-I knew you had to! And I prayed that you would be ok! But when they said that…that…I thought I-"

Yumiko never got to finish as Tezuka swept her in his arms. He held her tightly, like he never wanted to let her go.

And he didn't want to let her go.

Not a chance.

Not again.

* * *

_There's nothing I could say to you_

_Nothing I could ever do_

_To make you see what you mean to me_

_All the pain, the tears I've cried_

_Still you never said goodbye_

_And now I know how far you would go_

_I know I let you down_

_But it's not like that now_

_This time I'll never let you go_

* * *

"You're such a jerk!" Yumiko pounded her fists on his chest, with each hit getting less and less forceful. "You made me worry and I hate you! I hate you!" Her shouts turned into sobs. 

"I thought I lost you."

Tezuka kept silent, stroking her hair and holding her tightly. When the maiden's sobs subsided, he spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you worry."

"It's ok." Yumiko held onto him, warmth spreading through her form from his touch. "But I should be the one who's sorry." She pulled away just enough to look at him. "I-I didn't mean it. I never ever meant any of the things I said before. I'm sorry, so sorry."

Tezuka shushed her. He placed a light kiss on her forehead. "It's ok. It's all ok, Yumi. Don't worry now. Shh…"

Yumiko looked up at him, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

Their lips met.

"_I love you…"_

"_I know. I do too. I love you."_

* * *

"I so wanna go out there." 

"Oh? Jealous much?"

Izumi rolled her eyes. "No, so I can surprise them. A scene like that is just begging to be interrupted."

"Really…" Atobe smirked at her. "Don't tell Ore-sama you're jealous."

Izumi snorted and rolled her eyes. "Am not. It's just…" She turned away from her perfect view of the Seigaku captain and his ladylove and walked off with Atobe close by.

Izumi let out an irritated groan. "I have to annoy someone or else I'm going to go crazy here! This…This worrying and stressing is sucking the life out of me!"

"You aren't the only one on edge, you know." Atobe said softly.

"I know. Tanisha's got it worst than me." Izumi said sadly.

"Or me." Atobe said.

"Atobe-sama! Atobe-sama!"

The two looked up to see a nurse hurrying towards them.

"Is something wrong?" Izumi asked, worried about the nurse's frenzied state. After all that happened, she didn't know if she could take much more excitement.

"Sarina-sama told me to tell you that one of the patient's awake."

* * *

Tanisha walked down the staircase. She stopped and looked out a nearby window. Despite her sadness, she smiled upon seeing her bestfriend happy in the arms of the one she loved. 

She could only hope for such-

She stopped and shook her head. No, no hoping. No more of that.

It was too tiring.

She walked on, not knowing where she was going, but just walking.

And walking.

And walking.

"Tanisha! Tanisha!"

The girl in question turned around. She was met with the sight of a breathless Hiro.

"Hiro?"

Hiro looked at her. "He's awake."

* * *

_TOK...TOK...TOK..._

The figure on the bed cringed as the door opened. He heard the sound of soft footsteps and looked up slowly, wishing it was not the person he thought it was.

But it was her.

He smiled up at her.

"Hey, what's with the look?" Mizuki said with a smile. "Aren't you glad to see me alive? My arm's ok now. The doctors said they got the bullet out and it'll heal in a month or so. Isn't that great?"

Tanisha looked down at him, wishing she didn't step in here in the first place. But she was already in here, and she owed it to this person, this person who saved her life at the cost of his.

She pulled a chair by the bed and sat down in silence.

After a while, she spoke.

"Why did you do it?" She asked softly.

Five little words. Words that asked it all. Words that asked the question Mizuki knew would come once he saw her open the door to his room and sat down in silence. Words that asked the question he could finally answer.

He opened his mouth to answer, only to close it again. He looked at her beautiful eyes, once a brilliant shade of green that had dulled from seeing and experiencing too many.

Unconsciously, he raised a hand and reached for her. But he managed to gather his wits long enough to realize what he was about to do. He pulled away quickly, but from the look in her eyes, he knew she figured out why.

* * *

_Well it's hard to explain but I'll try if you let me_

_Well it's hard to sustain_

_I'll cry if you let me_

_This doesn't change the way I feel about you or your place in my life_

_Can't you see I'm dying here?_

_A shot of broken heart that is chased with fear_

_Intentions that were pure have turned obscure_

_Seconds into hours_

_Minutes into years_

_Don't ask me why_

_I can't tell you lies_

* * *

"Simply because." Was all he said and he turned away from her. 

She asked the question he could finally answer, but opted not to.

It was too ridiculous. It was impossible. She wasn't his.

And, he thought, she never will be. It was enough for her to hold a grudge against him, only if that thought would keep the memory of him alive in her.

But to hope for something more?

It can never be.

Tanisha could only sit there in silence, trying to grasp the gravity of it all. In the end, she could only smile, albeit with a mix of sadness and gratitude. She stood up and was about to turn away when she felt herself reaching out to touch his hand. When she grasped his hand, she felt his fingers intertwining with hers.

Mizuki didn't look at her and she simply adhered to his wish and avoided looking at him. She felt him give her hand one last squeeze before letting go.

She turned away and walked quietly towards the door.

"Thank you." She said and walked out.

Mizuki sighed after the door closed.

It was over.

All over.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind her, Tanisha sighed. 

"Did he tell you?"

Tanisha looked up to see Rin, smiling softly at her. Without asking, she knew what her friend was talking about.

Tanisha looked down, ashamed at herself without even knowing why.

"Not with words, if that's what you mean." She answered. Tanisha looked at her friend. "How long have you known?"

Rin shrugged. "Since I saw how he looked at you back at that pool party we had, despite the fact that you were furious at him that day." She walked a few paces and sat down at the nearest bench. Tanisha followed after.

"How come you didn't tell me?" Tanisha asked.

Rin shook her head. "It wasn't my place to say. Besides, I thought it was obvious."

"Maybe to you, but to me it certainly wasn't."

Rin chuckled. "Yeah well, there was already someone in there." She pointed at her chest, right where her heart was.

Tanisha gave her a small smile. "Yeah."

Rin's face turned thoughtful. "Shouldn't you be there? With him? I mean-"

"I can't Rin, I just can't." Tanisha said, burying her face in her hands.

"Why can't you?"

"Because...because… what if he never wakes up?" Tanisha looked at her friend. "Dad still hasn't woken up. What if…what if…they both… I can't afford to be there, because if I'm there, I'll hope and then…I'll just end up being disappointed."

"Hey hey hey." Rin reached over and placed an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Don't think like that. You want to know what I think."

Rin placed both hands on her friend's shoulders and said.

"If you haven't noticed, you aren't crying."

"Huh?"

"And that's because, despite what nonsense you're saying now, you believe against all odds that Fuji will wake up, probably even more than the rest of us combined." Rin said seriously, and then gave her a warm smile. "And I think you should hold on to that."

With that said, the girl stood up, gave her friend's shoulder a last squeeze and walked off. She gave her a last smile before knocking and walking into Mizuki's room.

Tanisha sat there in silence for a moment before standing up and running off.

* * *

Sarina looked down at the man sleeping peacefully on the bed. She reached up a hand and swept his hair to one side, not caring about the bandages that adorned half of her lover's face. 

Akio looked so calm when he was asleep.

But she would much rather have him awake than asleep.

"So," Sarina spoke, as if Akio could hear her. "Any thoughts on when you're going to wake up?"

Nothing, only the sound of slow breathing.

Sarina smiled softly and kept on talking, ignoring the tightness in her chest.

"You know, Izabel didn't make it. She made sure to shot herself right at the heart. I tried to save her but I couldn't. I don't know whether to admire her for her loyalty to that Wataru guy or to pity her for doing something so ridiculous. Daisuke-san is all right by the way. He's resting now, but he's fine. And he says he's ready to take on Wataru once he's ok. Mizuki is all right as well. He was amazing, the way he saved Tanisha."

"Anyway, I know you must be wondering about where Tanisha is. She's holding up as best as she can. She's a really strong girl. I'm sure you're very proud of her. I know I am."

The smile melted away.

"But she really needs you, you know. She's doing her best, but she won't be able to take it if neither of you wake up."

"I'm sure I told you about him. I did the surgery on him, but he still hasn't woken up. It was amazing really, how the bullet just barely missed his heart, you could even call it a miracle. But he still hasn't woken up. Even I don't know when he will wake up, or if he ever will."

Sarina couldn't take it anymore. Crystal tears fell.

"So…wake up. Because…because your daughter needs you…and I…I need you."

And the woman burst into tears.

* * *

_On my own,  
Pretending he's beside me,  
all alone, I walk with him till morning.  
Without him, I feel his arms around me,  
_

_And all I see is him and me,  
forever and forever…_

* * *

"Your wish is my command." 

Sarina gasped at the sound of his voice. He looked up, only to meet with a brilliant shade of green.

"AKIO!"

* * *

"Dad?" Tanisha couldn't believe what she was seeing. 

Akio's familiar smile was visible amidst the bandages on his face.

"Hey there honey. Don't I get a hug?" He held his arms wide open.

Tears of joy and relief flowed down the girl's cheeks.

"DAD!"

She crashed into his arms, sobbing.

"You're awake! You're here! You're ok!"

Akio smiled at his daughter then at the woman standing beside the bed.

"Yes, I'm here."

Tanisha looked at him still teary-eyed but with a smile on her face.

"Y-You're really awake. You won't leave me again, will you?"

Akio smiled down at her.

"I won't, Tanisha. I promise I will never leave you."

Tanisha stepped away from her father's bed. She rushed to Sarina and grabbed her hand, at the same time grabbing her father's.

She smiled at the two of them.

"Now we're complete. We're a family now."

* * *

"Sweet little scene, ain't it?" 

Fuji jumped up and looked behind him.

"W-Who are you?" The light-haired boy said as he stared at the person, if you could call it a person, before him.

The figure smiled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm your guardian angel."

Fuji's eyes opened, revealing confused electric-blue eyes.

"W-What?"

Ienn scratched the top of her head. "Well I do get why you're confused and all, but I thought you would have at least understood why this is happening."

Fuji stared at the supposed angel in front of him. She certainly looked like an angel, with the dark floor-length hair, the lightest shade of blue eyes he's ever seen and the large wings and all, but she certainly didn't dress like one.

Would an angel wear a short-sleeved, blue and white hoodie and black, denim bell bottoms and walk around bare-footed?

"This angel does, my man. The white cloth is so overrated." Ienn said. She tapped the side of her head at seeing Fuji's surprise. "I'm a mind-reader my friend, a psychic."

Fuji stayed silent. What can he say to that?

Ienn sighed. She walked towards the confused young man and held out a hand.

"Let's start at the beginning." She said with a smile. "I am Ienn, an angel. You're angel to be exact."

Fuji simply looked at the hand, not knowing whether to take it or not.

Ienn sighed again and let her hand drop. "Ok, so you're suspicious. I get it."

She walked away and sat down on the floor of the hospital. That's when Fuji noticed his surroundings. He and Ienn were in the hallway of the hospital, right across where Tanisha and her family were.

Yet, they hadn't noticed him.

Was he really dead?

"Technically yes." Ienn spoke up, sipping a drink from a cup that she had gotten from who knows where. "Oh, want one?" She held out a hand, where another cup just happened to be. Fuji hesitated, but took it anyway, not that he drank from it.

"Aren't you going to drink that?" Ienn asked. "You know you shouldn't let food go to waste and-"

"What did you mean by I'm technically dead?" Fuji asked, looking, or more like glaring, at the angel.

Ienn simply stood up and gave him a bored look. "Just what I said. You, my friend, are technically dead." She walked off and Fuji followed, casting a last glance at his girlfriend before walking away.

Fuji caught up to the angel. "I cannot be technically dead. Nobody can be technically dead. In fact, this sort of thing isn't even possible."

Ienn tossed her cup into the nearest trash bin. "I detect a non-believer."

Fuji tossed his cup in the trash and raised an eyebrow at her. "What if I am?"

Ienn sat down at a nearby bench. "Then it is highly unlikely that you're going to live at this state."

"What?"

Ienn's face turned thoughtful. "I don't want to force you to believe me. In fact, you don't even have to believe me at all. What I need from you is acceptance. You have to accept the fact that you're D-E-A-D. Dead. You're soul is hovering between life and death, my friend; and although it is lucky for you to be here, you cannot stay here for long…

Or risk dying, really dying."

* * *

"Sarina-sama?" 

Sarina looked up, seeing a fellow doctor at the door.

"What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"We've been monitoring Fuji-san, as you said, and we have news." He said.

Tanisha felt a flutter of hope in her heart. "Is he awake?" She asked, standing up from her seat.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. We've detected a change in his…You really should see this Sarina-sama."

Sarina stood up, she had a feeling she knew what this was. "Ok." She followed the doctor out the door.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Tanisha exclaimed.

Sarina and the doctor exchanged looks. If this was bad news, they couldn't let her see it.

"Go on dear."

"Akio?"

Akio smiled at Sarina. "Let her see him. Maybe that will help the boy. The same way you being here helped me."

Sarina debated with herself for a moment before nodding.

"Let's go."

* * *

Ienn felt a pang in her heart. She knew time was almost up. A soul cannot hover for long in this state. It needed a body, or else. 

She had to work fast.

"Fuji, tell me something. You care about your family, don't you?"

"Of course." Fuji answered instantly. "What kind of a question is that?"

"How about Tanisha, you love her, don't you?" Ienn asked, knowing full well the answer to that.

"More than life itself."

Ienn smiled inwardly. It was a good answer. Well, he did jump in front of a bullet for her and died for her didn't he?

"What's with the questions?" Fuji asked, feeling a bit suspicious.

Ienn looked at him.

"What would you do if I say you're never going to see your family or your friends ever again? Would you take back what you did when you saved Tanisha's life?"

* * *

"He'll get through this, you know he will." 

Tanisha peered into the window at Sarina and the others who were busy attending to Fuji. Seeing Fuji's motionless body practically broke her heart. She didn't want to see him like this, but she knew she had to and she was going to.

She was going to stand there and wait for him to wake up.

Because he was going to wake up.

She knew he was.

Fuji had never let her down before and she knew he wasn't about to start now.

"Sho-kun." Tanisha whispered to herself. "Wake up. Don't leave me. I need you."

* * *

_How do I breathe?_

_Without you here by my side_

_How will I see?_

_When your love brought me to the light_

_Where do I go?_

_When your heart's where I lay my head_

_When you're not with me,_

_How do I breathe?_

* * *

"Would you take back what you did?" 

Fuji thought about the question and decided to answer the only thing he could answer.

"I don't know."

Ienn laughed. "Boy, there is no such thing as 'I don't know' when it comes to the thoughts and emotions of mortals. The truth is that people know. It's just that they either do not understand or they cannot accept it quickly."

"You know what your answer will be, don't you?"

Fuji was taken aback when the scenery around him and Ienn changed. What used to be the hallway now became the outside of an operating room.

"_I need you."_

It was like an electric shock. Fuji whipped around to see Tanisha, her face peering into the window at the scene inside.

"Tashi-chan."

Fuji walked towards her, only to be stopped by Ienn's words.

"Would you take back what you did?" The angel asked for the third time, looking at the young man.

Fuji stood closely behind Tanisha. He found it hard to believe that she couldn't see or hear him, when he could see and hear her so clearly.

Fuji turned back to Ienn. Ienn was right. He knew the answer.

Fuji knew he still had a lot to live for, his dreams and ambitions, his family, his friends. It was difficult to say he would give it all up but...

"I won't regret saving her life."

"Why?"

"Because…I mean, it's difficult having to choose and I can't say I don't have my doubts but in the end, I won't take it back."

He smiled.

"Besides, she's worth it."

He saw Tanisha's hand perched on the glass of the window. He placed his hand lightly over hers and whispered in her ear.

"I love you."

Then he and Ienn disappeared.

* * *

_When I see your smile_

_Tears run down my face_

_I can't replace_

_And now that I'm strong I have figured out_

_How this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul_

_And I know I'll find deep inside me I can be the one_

_I will never let you fall_

_I'll stand up with you forever_

_I'll be there for you through it all_

_Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

* * *

"_I love you."_

Tanisha turned around.

She could've sworn she heard…someone.

Tanisha then grasped her hand. It was tingling.

A noise caught her attention.

She looked inside the operating room just in time to see Sarina and the others frantically attending to Fuji.

His pulse was getting dangerously low.

* * *

Fuji opened his eyes, to see Ienn standing before him. They were amidst the clouds, the scenery spanning farther than his eyes could see. 

"Are you ready?" Ienn asked with a smile.

Fuji answered softly. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Ienn waved her hand. Fuji was surprised as a circle of clouds formed to show him a scene. In it was a frantic Sarina who was giving Fuji, or rather his lifeless body, CPR.

He turned to Ienn. "W-What is…"

Ienn smiled. "You can go back now."

Fuji couldn't believe his ears. "B-But…I mean…"

"Hey." Ienn winked at him. "You're going to live, man. That should be a cause for celebration. But actually, my friend, you managed to do something that most people never get to do, or to understand at least…

…And that's that people are meant to live for one another and that the sacrifice of oneself for others is the only way to truly live. Hold on to that, my friend."

Ienn walked over and patted Fuji on the shoulder.

"Takara-san was right. You are perfect for her daughter."

With that said, the angel walked off, her long dark hair swaying behind her with every step.

"Wait!" Fuji called out.

"Yeah?" Ienn looked back.

Fuji looked at her in shock. "Takara-san? Tashi-chan's mother?"

"Of course." Ienn smiled back at him. "Why do you think the bullet missed your heart?"

Fuji smiled and bowed low to her. "Thank you and please say thank you to Takara-san for me."

"Will do, my man. Ciao." Ienn said. She stretched her wings and flew off.

The next thing the light-haired young man knew he was falling.

* * *

"Come on!" Sarina said as she continued her CPR. "Don't give up now." 

She looked up for a split second, but what she saw was like in slow motion.

There was Tanisha, standing outside and pounding her fists on the window. Tears flowed from her panicked eyes.

Sarina looked back down at Fuji. She wasn't going to let Tanisha feel the same way she felt when she wasn't able to save Takara's life.

Fuji was not going to die. Not on her watch.

She will do everything she can.

* * *

Tanisha couldn't believe what she was seeing. 

Fuji was dying.

"NO!" Tanisha burst through the doors, pushing aside the doctor who tried to stop her.

"Let her through!" Sarina shouted. When Tanisha reached the operating table, she grabbed Fuji's hand. Sarina never once broke her rhythm as she continued CPR.

In an instant, Akio's words came back to her.

"_Let her see him. Maybe that will help the boy. The same way you being here helped me."_

Sadly, it wasn't the same in Fuji's case.

"Sarina-sama." A doctor walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's over."

Sarina looked at the monitor.

It was a flat line.

* * *

It was like her whole life shattered the moment she heard those words. 

"_It's over."_

"IT IS NOT OVER!" Tanisha shouted, pounding her fists on the operating table. She looked up at Sarina. The doctor was looking so disappointed, she almost lost her nerve. But she persisted.

She had to.

She can't lose him.

"Sarina! Come on!" Tanisha shouted. "H-He can still make it."

Sarina couldn't look at Tanisha in the face.

"Tanisha, I'm sorry."

Tanisha shook her head. "No…No…"

"NO!"

Tanisha grasped Fuji's hand as tightly as she could, as if that could make him come back.

"You are such an idiot, Fuji Syuusuke! How can you do this to me! Don't leave me!"

"I love you!"

…

…

_Ting…Ting…TING…TING…_

Tanisha, Sarina and the doctors could only watch in amazement as the machine started picking up a pulse and the previously lifeless body stirred.

Fuji opened his eyes.

"Tanisha…"

* * *

_Cause you're my true love, my whole heart_

_Please don't throw that away_

_Cause I'm here for you_

_Please don't walk away and_

_Please tell me you'll stay_

_  
I will never let you fall_

_I'll stand up with you forever_

_I'll be there for you through it all_

_Even if saving you sends me to heaven_

* * *

"I thought you already left me." 

"I would never leave you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**A/N:** There! How's that? Hate it? Love it? Send a review. This chapter is pretty long, but I knew some of you are going to seriously kill me if I put up another one of my cliffies. So here it is. Please don't forget to send a review. 

This is the second-to-the-last chapter of "Ballads of the Heart". Stay tuned for the thirtieth chapter and the conclusion of my story, which will be released as soon as I can make it, which will hopefully be soon.

RaiPhoenix015

* * *


	30. New Beginnings

* * *

And so it ends.

No author notes for now. That's reserved for the end.

My thanks the people who reviewed the last chapter:

**MysticBlood**; **LivelyRose**; **xxArianaxx**;**xzlioness**; **anonymous jane**; **Wingless-Crying-Angel**; **fujilovesme**; **tsuchi-daisho**; **aikoflutist247**; **towa no yume**; **passerby**; **anangelwithnoname**; **mesmerizedbyceruleaneyes**; **Narutodaisuke93**; **immortalxdreams**; **Anime-Kunoichi** and to **unknown player**

And of course to, **bellenibeau1125**, who I thank so very much

Enjoy the last chapter of the series.

* * *

**Chapter 30: New Beginnings**

**(3 months later…)**

**Normal POV**

"So, what do you think?"

"You look fat."

"Tanisha…"

The young girl laughed at seeing the pout on the older woman's face.

"I was just kidding." She said with a smile. "You look gorgeous."

Sarina looked down at what she was wearing. "Really?"

"Yup." Tanisha nodded.

"You couldn't have picked a better designer." Sarina said as she walked behind the screen to take the gown of. "Who knew Rin-chan was a good designer?"

"Well, I did." Tanisha said, leaning back on her seat and putting her feet up on the table. "She was always pretty good at that kind of stuff. It's a good thing you actually agreed to take on her design."

Sarina's voice came out muffled.

"What was that?"

With a grunt, Sarina managed to remove the gown. "I said, I couldn't say no to her. She's very talented."

Sarina walked out and handed the gown to a helper. She looked at the gown lovingly.

"Hey hey hey…" Tanisha called out to her. "Save the lovesick looks for the wedding."

Sarina laughed. "Fine. Whatever you say." The doctor glanced at the young girl.

Tanisha noticed it. "What?"

The woman shook her head. "Nothing."

Tanisha stood up. "Ugh. You're getting sappy again." She turned. But Sarina was able to see a small smile on her face before she turned her back to her.

"So." Sarina walked over and placed an arm around the young girl. "Where to? We've got the whole day ahead of us."

Tanisha smiled. "I know what we can do. Let's go shopping. I'm in need of some shoes."

The soon-to-be mother and daughter walked out of the shop, all smiles. But the young girl knew that it wasn't going to be all-smiles soon enough.

* * *

**(Two days later…)**

"I am so excited!" Nami said as she, Tanisha and Rin walked down the hallway.

"You're excited?" Rin laughed. "Shouldn't Aki-senpai be the excited one?"

"All I'm saying is that a Hamada wedding is going to be just phenomenal!" Nami grinned. "This event is definitely one for the books and one for the media to feed on. Imagine, 'The Wedding of the Year'."

Tanisha grinned. "For your information, it's going to be a private wedding, duh. So it isn't exactly going to be broadcasted or whatever."

"Hey Tanisha!"

All three turned around to see two of their classmates walking their way.

"Congratulations." They said.

Tanisha nodded at them with a smile. "Thanks."

The trio walked on down the hall. Everywhere they went, Tanisha was constantly being congratulated and asked about the wedding.

"Jeez. Miss popular much?" Nami whispered as two girls walked away after wishing the redhead good luck. Tanisha simply laughed.

"By the way, Aki-senpai, I can't thank you enough for showing Sarina-sama my designs." Rin said, smiling. "I can't believe she actually agreed to take up my design."

Tanisha grinned. "You better believe it. She loves the gown, practically wouldn't take it off."

Rin beamed happily.

"You know, if one more idiot comes by and congratulates you, I'm going to scream." Nami said.

"I thought you were excited about it?" Tanisha asked.

"Oh you know, Nami-chan. She's just miffed because it seems like the whole school already knows." Rin explained. "She wanted to be the one to spread the good news."

"Hey ladies!"

The three turned to see Hiro walking towards them.

"Hey, what's this I hear about a wedding?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah. Sarina-san and Akio-san are going to get married." Nami said. "Aren't you going to congratulate Tanisha?"

Hiro shrugged. "When is it? I need to clear up my schedule if I'm coming along."

"And what makes you think I'm even going to invite you?" Tanisha asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

Hiro snorted. "Like you're not going to."

"Just for that, you'd better chop him off the guest list." Nami said, tugging hard on Hiro's ear.

"Hey!" Hiro rubbed his sore ear and glared at Nami. "Well, if I'm not going, what makes you think you're even going to get an invite?" Nami stuck her tongue out at him.

Tanisha and Rin laughed.

"Don't worry guys. You're all invited of course." Tanisha answered. "Sarina still hasn't decided on the exact date. I expect she'll have settled it by this week."

The four entered the cafeteria and, in a few minutes, were settled down and ready to eat.

"Hi guys!" Izumi said, bouncing over and settling down on the seat beside her cousin.

"Hi." The group said in a chorus.

"Where've you been?" Hiro asked.

Izumi waved a hand. "Buchou caught Takeshi slacking off during practice, made him run 50 laps. Hey guys," Izumi said, suddenly bouncing excitedly on her seat. "You won't believe what I just saw on my way to school."

"I bet it has something to do with food." Hiro whispered to Tanisha who nodded in agreement.

"Well, I saw this really cute bake shop on my way to school." Izumi plowed on. "It just opened, so they offered me a free muffin and it was delicious!" Izumi beamed happily, as Tanisha and Hiro chuckled quietly.

Nami stuck a doughnut in her cousin's mouth. "Shut up, Izu. You talking on and on about muffins is making me even hungrier and, if you going to talk about muffins, you should have at least brought one."

Izumi took a bite out of the doughnut and glared at her cousin. "What makes you think I didn't?"

"Izu-chan!"

Momoshiro appeared with the other regulars in tow, pouting, and carrying a big box while he was at it.

"There you are!" Izumi said, bouncing toward her boyfriend. She gave him a peck on the cheek, grabbed the box from him and sat back down on her seat.

"Here!" Izumi happily placed the cake in the middle of the table. She waited for everyone to reach the table before opening it with a flourish. "How do you like them apples?"

"Muffins!" Hiro, Eiji and Momoshiro exclaimed happily and grabbed a few muffins out of the box.

"Yum." Rin said and picked one to munch on, as the rest grabbed their own.

"Hey." Fuji said, sitting down beside Tanisha and kissing her on the cheek.

"Hey yourself." Tanisha said. "Where've you been?"

"Blame Tezuka." Fuji said, grabbing two of the fast-disappearing muffins from the box and handing one to her.

"Excuse me! Coming through!" Yumiko's voice rang out over the crowd. Everyone turned to see the dark-haired beauty balancing a tray on one hand and her bag and a stack of books on the other.

Yumiko really didn't have to excuse herself to get through. Her status as the renowned tennis captain's girlfriend made her a force to be reckoned with, plus her natural friendliness already made people naturally give way for her. Like a bullet, Tezuka was up on his feet to help out his girlfriend. Tanisha smiled at that.

Yumiko and Tezuka sat down and joined in the conversations circling the packed table.

Tanisha smiled and watched everyone around her. A melancholy feeling entered her heart and when Fuji wrapped an arm around her and whispered in her ear, her heart ached. But she willed herself to smile and to enjoy these moments.

Just smile.

* * *

**(Three weeks later…)**

"Move aside! I'm getting out of here!" Tanisha pushed through the small crowd and managed to find her way out of the crowded room. She sighed, as she ran a hand through her hair.

A whistle alerted her attention.

"You look horrible."

Tanisha rolled her eyes and smiled. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

Mizuki smiled back, as he and the lady walked down the hall.

"For your information, that room was deadly." Tanisha said her heels click-clacking on the floor. "I can't believe how many different scents can fill a room. I was suffocating in there."

Mizuki chuckled. "It is a wedding. Perfection is a must."

"Perfection? It's like a freaking 10 am, the wedding isn't until the day after tomorrow and this is just a wedding rehearsal." Tanisha said, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Plus, these heels are killing me." She stopped and took off her shoes before walking barefooted.

"You know, if I wasn't already used to you, I'd be embarrassed to even be seen with you." Mizuki said; looking at his companion's bare feet and dark blue toenail polish.

Tanisha wiggled her toes and walked on, ignoring what he said.

The two walked on down the hallway until they reached the ballroom where there were people setting up for the wedding reception. Chef Alphonse was busy amidst the people making sure everything was in place. He was busy talking to Atobe, who was helping out with everything.

Tanisha and Mizuki gave them a smile and a wave before they walked on past the ballroom and out onto the garden. The redhead gave a small giggle before walking on the grass barefooted.

"Tickles." She smiled and sat down cross-legged on a bench. Mizuki joined her.

"So, how does it feel?" Mizuki asked. "You're going to have a complete family in no less than 72 hours."

Tanisha shrugged. "It's ok. I mean, I like Sarina, she's nice."

"Nice enough to be your mom?" Mizuki asked. Tanisha gave him a look and he hastily added. "Hey, I thought you said you liked her."

"Yeah, I do." Tanisha nodded. "I'm fine with her being my mom. She's been like my real mom for almost three moths now ever since that _incident_."

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about what happened to your Dad. That was ages ago." Mizuki said.

"Really?" Tanisha raised an eyebrow at him teasingly. "Says the guy who jumped in front of a bullet for me."

Mizuki shrugged. "I'm over that."

Tanisha smiled. "By the way, how's it going with Rin? You've been together for three months now, right?"

A fond smiled turned up on the brunette's face. "Yeah."

"Oh, spare me the sappiness, hon." Rin appeared, a smile on her face. She walked over and sat down. Mizuki wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead affectionately.

"Well." Tanisha stood up. "I know when I'm not wanted. See you two later." She waved at the two and walked away.

* * *

It didn't take long for the redhead to reach her room. She lied down on her bed.

The best thing about Sarina's wish to have a weekend wedding at an exclusive five-star hotel is that they get free spa treatments, comfortable rooms and remarkably delicious food.

Which reminds her, she just had to go back down to the lobby and get some of that food.

She jumped up and was about to walk out the door when the bedside table caught her gaze. On top of it was her laptop, left open after Sarina and the others dragged her out of her room for the wedding preparations, and beside the device was a brown folder.

She sighed in frustration and debated on whether to look at it or to burn it. In the end, she shut down her laptop, grabbed the folder, stuck it in her bag and walked out the door.

* * *

Tanisha rubbed her forehead as she read the papers in front of her for the fourth time. All this stuff was giving her a migraine.

"Tashi-chan!" Fuji's voice rang out over the crowd.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Fuji asked, as he kissed Tanisha on the cheek and sat down.

Tanisha slammed her hand on the table, crumpling the papers slightly. "No. It's nothing." Fuji raised his eyebrow at her and indicated the papers on the table, knowing that's giving the redhead problems.

"It's nothing." Tanisha insisted. "Where've you been?" She asked, grabbing a biscuit and biting on it.

Fuji poured himself a drink then reached over and grabbed the papers before his girlfriend could ruin them. "I was over at Tori-san's room getting fitted for my suit with Akio-san. She told me to tell you that you really should go up and see her so she can get you fitted for your dress and make alterations."

Tanisha nodded. "Ok. I'll go there now." She stood up and grabbed her bag. She kissed Fuji on the cheek and walked off.

"Oh and Tashi-chan." Fuji's voice rang out.

"Yeah?" She asked, turning.

"You'd better think about when you're going to tell them." Fuji said.

Tanisha sighed and nodded, before walking off.

* * *

"Tanisha, darling, you're here." Tori said as the redhead walked inside her room.

"Hey Tori-san." Tanisha bowed and smiled at the stylist.

Tori was a tall woman and very pretty with her blonde and brown-streaked hair and coffee brown eyes. She was also a very talented stylist and was Rin's idol as the woman had been featured in hundreds of magazines and is the favorite stylist of celebrities around the world.

"Come on. Come on." Tori said grabbing her hand and making her stand up on a platform. She scrutinized the young maiden closely as she walked around her in a circle. "Good. Very good. You have the same stance as your father."

"Um…what?" Tanisha gave her an uneasy smile. "Tori-san-"

"Tori-san, good work as usual." A strong voice rang over their heads. "This fits fine."

Tanisha and Tori looked up to see Akio, looking very handsome and formal in his wedding tuxedo.

"Dad/Akio-sama." Tanisha and Tori said simultaneously.

Tanisha hopped off the platform and went up to her father.

"Wow. You look…you look…nice." Tanisha said, not knowing what else to say.

"Just nice?" Akio teased fixing the bowtie on his neck. "It isn't a bad fit, Tori."

"Oh, I just knew this was the perfect suit for you!" Tori said, clapping in delight. "What do you think Tanisha?"

Tanisha looked closely at her father and smiled. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."

"Thank you, dear." Akio said, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "Now how about I take this off and Tori can get you fitted."

"Um…sure." Tanisha nodded and was instantly swept away by the stylist to the dressing room.

It didn't take long for Tori and Tanisha to emerge, the former looking proud while the latter looking a bit unsure. Akio, who was sitting on a chair waiting, sat up straight and stared at his daughter.

"I'm actually quite impressed with the design of that girl, Watanabe Rin. Admittedly, I never expected her work to look this amazing." Tori said, smiling at the strapless, full-length, sapphire-colored dress on the young charge.

"So?" Tanisha closed her eyes, expecting the worst. "How do I look?"

Akio's voice came out in a whisper, but she still heard it clearly.

"Just like your mother."

Tears filled Tanisha's closed eyes and she shook her head before opening her eyes, although she knew she still looked like she wanted to cry.

"Sarina-san?" Tori asked, hesitantly.

"No. Takara, my first wife." Akio said.

"Ok. I'm out of here. Call me when you're done." Tori said, walking out of the room and thankfully giving the father and daughter some much-needed privacy.

"Hey. Don't tell me you're having regrets." Tanisha said jokingly. "It's taken me almost three months to get used to her. You definitely won't be able to get rid of her, not if I have anything to say about that."

Akio shook his head with a smile. "No, it isn't that." The father and daughter gazed at a full-length mirror. Identical jade green eyes looked back at them. Akio stroked his daughter's hair, the distinct thing she inherited from her mother, apart from the thin red lips, pert nose and that signature smile.

"You look a lot like her." He sighed.

Tanisha gave him a wistful smile. "I know. Sometimes it's actually difficult to look in the mirror."

Akio's eyes glazed over, not as if in tears, but as if remembering something. He placed a hand on his daughter's back.

"It's almost time." Tanisha said, grabbing her father's hand. "Are you ready?" She looked up at him.

"Who's ever ready for a wedding?" Akio said. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

Tanisha looked up at him. "I seriously don't have a clue. I mean, you don't really know these things. But if you're happy, I'm happy. Plus, I'm pretty sure Sarina's happy... and Mommy's happy."

"Dead Mommy's happy?"

Tanisha nodded. "Yup, dead mommy's happy."

* * *

Every wedding is beautiful, be it simple or even extravagant, as long as the most important thing is there.

Love

And if you asked anybody that attended the Hamada-Yasui wedding, they would say that love was definitely present in the event.

Absolutely

And for someone like Tanisha, who was the most affected by the wedding apart from the bride and groom, the wedding was absolutely perfect…

And you know what her most favorite part was?

The way the groom looked at the bride as she trekked down that aisle.

That was the best part.

And she knew that her father had never looked happier seeing Sarina walk towards him.

Plus, another good thing about the wedding was that she managed to see her boyfriend looking very handsome in a tuxedo.

Ok, so she might have liked the latter a bit more than the former, but for her, the wedding was perfect, simply and utterly and undeniably perfect.

"Come on!" Izumi grabbed her hand, interrupting the redhead out of her current activity of looking at Fuji and admiring his looks. "Sarina-san is throwing the bouquet!"

Tanisha nodded and joined the crowd of females.

"Ok." Sarina smiled, looking the part of the happy and perfect bride, as is befitting. She turned around. "Ready? 1, 2 and 3!"

She threw the bouquet over her head, sending it at the crowd.

Tanisha, although excited, wasn't really interested in whether she got the bouquet or not. She simply joined in the fun once they all saw who caught the flowers.

"Hey! Has anybody seen Tezuka?" Hiro shouted, upon seeing who caught it. "Tell him his bride's ready!"

Yumiko blushed as she held the flowers. The beauty blushed even darker as Tezuka, who was suddenly pushed into the crowd, gave her a small smile.

Tanisha smiled. She was about to go over and possibly push her best friend towards her boyfriend for more added fun, when a hand snaked its way around her waist and pulled her into loving arms.

"Sho-kun." Tanisha smiled.

"Tashi-chan." Fuji said, smiling back and kissing his girlfriend on the forehead.

A holler alerted their attention and they saw Yumiko crashing into Tezuka after a well-aimed push from Rin, of all people.

"Sorry honey." Rin called out from Mizuki's embrace as the two twirled around the middle floor to the sudden music that resounded. The two smiled mischievously. "Didn't mean to push, busy dancing that's all."

"Dancing my foot." Yumiko called back.

Tanisha shook her head and focused her attention on Fuji as they started swaying to the music.

"So?" She smiled up at him. "Any particular reason you're here?"

Fuji opened his eyes and smiled, but said nothing.

Tanisha's brow furrowed. "How come-"

Fuji twirled her, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Sho-kun," Tanisha said, once they were face-to-face. "Is something wrong? You-"

Twirl

Tanisha gave him a look. "Sho-kun, please stop-"

Twirl

"-twirling me." Tanisha was surprised when Fuji pulled her close.

"I love you." Fuji whispered to her ear.

Tanisha looked at him, sweeping his long hair out of his eyes and looking at his unusually sad eyes.

Her heart almost stopped.

"Hey, come on." Tanisha asked, keeping the sad note out of her voice. "No sad faces, not yet at least."

Fuji shook his head. "I know. I'm just…"

Tanisha pressed her forehead to Fuji's and tried to smile reassuringly. "Shh… It's ok. It'll be ok. You know that, right?"

Fuji nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Ok.

She was going to tell them.

Right now.

She was really going to do it.

Ok.

Deep breath.

No pressure.

Just spit it out.

Ok.

Here goes.

1

2

3

Oh wait, Rin was talking.

She should wait.

Ok, she's done.

My turn.

Clear your throat and just take the plunge.

"Guys…" Tanisha called out over the noisy table where she and the rest of the gang where settled in. It was the day after the wedding and everyone was settling in for one last Sunday breakfast before going back home.

Everyone turned to her.

"Um…I…" Tanisha stood up and took a deep breath. Here it comes. "I have something to tell you guys."

"Yeah?" Yumiko looked up. "What is it?"

"Please tell us you're going to let us stay here for a few more days." Izumi called out. "I still want to milk the spa and restaurant privileges."

"Sheesh, what a greedy little girl." Hiro's mumbling was audible. Izumi hit him on the head, inciting laughter from the group, except for Tezuka of course.

Tanisha and Fuji weren't laughing.

The tensai was looking at his girlfriend who was avoiding his eyes. He knew that if she so much as looked at him, she was going to lose her nerve.

He noticed Tanisha's hand shaking, as if groping for something. Fuji's hand immediately jutted out and held her hand. Tanisha squeezed his hand hard.

Yumiko noticed they weren't laughing. She stopped. She gave Tezuka a look and the captain merely shrugged.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Yumiko asked, concerned.

"I have news." Tanisha said.

"Are you sick?" Yumiko asked, worried.

"No."

"Still hungry?" Nami asked.

"No."

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" Rin asked.

"…No…"

"Don't tell me. You're in need of tampons." Mizuki asked.

"No, and even if I needed one, I definitely wouldn't be making a grand announcement over it. Rin, what the heck are teaching this guy?"

"Doing drugs?" Izumi asked just for fun.

"Ew…definitely no."

"Pregnant?" Hiro suddenly asked with a mischievous smile.

"HIRO!" Everyone called out, especially a blushing Tanisha. Tezuka and Atobe shook their heads. Fuji on the other hand opened his eyes, and grinned mischievously, which Tanisha saw and that earned him a sound smack on the head.

"Sho-kun, stop thinking like that!" Tanisha said, glaring at him.

"Ok, ok." Hiro held up his hands. "I was just kidding. Sorry. So what is it?"

"Ok." Tanisha took a breath.

This is now or never.

"I'm…"

"SAY WHAT!!" Everyone shouted.

"You're leaving?"

"Why?"

"When?"

"Send us presents!"

"Are you all moving?"

"Can I come with?"

"Send us presents!"

"Shut up! You aren't coming, Izumi!"

"It was just a question!"

"You're still going to visit us, right?"

"Send us presents!"

"Where are you going anyway?"

"Are you going back to L.A.?"

"Send us presents!"

"What are you going to do there?"

"Are you going back to school?"

"Send us presents!"

"When are you going to visit us?"

"CAN EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP FOR A SEC!"

Everyone stared at the usually reserved Yumiko.

"O…K…" Izumi said. Hiro's hand reached out quickly and clamped itself over her mouth and most of her face.

Yumiko looked at her best friend.

"Explain."

Tanisha took a deep breath.

So, Yumiko was a little scary now.

The redhead didn't know it, but Yumiko was secretly grasping Tezuka's hand tightly under the table.

"The thing is before Dad and I moved back here to America, I was aiming in getting a recommendation in an exclusive school in Ireland." Tanisha started. "When we moved here, Dad and I initially thought that my recommendation was terminated since I was observed in Los Angeles and not here. Around two months ago, I was told that I was still recommended. The great thing about it is that if I keep up a good record in high school there, I can get a scholarship for college in my dream school."

"Ok." Yumiko nodded. "So, you're going."

Tanisha bit her lip.

"Well…"

"Don't tell me you're thinking of not going?" Yumiko gave her a piercing look, surprising the redhead.

"It's just that, you guys are all here and Mom and Dad are going to be staying here in Japan because of work and stuff, although they did say they will be visiting like once or twice a month...and..."

"You're an idiot." Yumiko narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't even think of passing up a chance like that. If that's what you want and you want to go, then go!"

Tanisha looked at her best friend, surprised at her words.

"Just don't forget to send us presents and to check in now and then." Yumiko added, smiling.

Tanisha smiled back gratefully.

"Yeah. Yeah I will."

* * *

**(Two weeks later…)**

"Dad! Mom! Come on! We're going to be late!" Tanisha called out, handing Alphonse the last of her bags. The heavyset chef just managed to squish the last bag in the trunk of the limo, when the Hamada couple walked out of the front door.

"Finally." Tanisha sighed and was about to climb in when Sarina grabbed her arm.

"Wait a sec. Take a picture" Sarina said, tossing her camera to Alphonse and grabbing her husband and daughter.

Tanisha bit her tongue and merely stood in-between her parents with a smile as Alphonse took a picture.

"Aww…" Sarina cooed, looking at the picture as the four of them boarded the limo and the driver pulled out of the gates. "It's perfect. We have to have this framed Akio."

Akio barely glanced at the picture. "Yes, dear." He faced his daughter. "Now, you got everything?"

Tanisha nodded. "Yup, pretty much. You don't really have to worry. I mean, I can buy stuff there or you can send them to-"

Akio shook a finger at her. "No. Air mail is not only expensive, but has been known to lose valuable objects."

"Daddy, it's really no big deal." Tanisha said.

Sarina nodded. "Your father's right, dear and…Oh my God."

Tanisha groaned. "Don't tell me you forgot something."

"My shoes don't match my dress." Sarina said, glancing at the fuchsia-colored shoes and her red dress. She called over to the driver. "Reggie. Turn the limo. I have to change my shoes."

"Mom!" Tanisha groaned. "We're going to be late!"

Akio patted his wife's arm. "Dear, you don't really need to change your shoes. It's ok."

Sarina looked outraged. "I can't have ok. My baby's leaving. I have to look perfect. Reggie, turn the limo."

Tanisha eyes lit up. "Oh my God. Al, did you remember to bring that red bag I left by the front table?"

Alphonse turned around. "No, Aki-san. I thought you put it in."

"Oh no!" Tanisha groaned. "My passport is in there, so are my tickets, my ID, my wallet, my keys, my Ipod, and… Reggie!"

"Oh good." Sarina smiled. "I can change my shoes."

**(45 minutes later…)**

"We made it." Tanisha sighed as she, her parents, Alphonse and Reggie stepped inside the airport.

"And I changed my shoes." Sarina said happily. "Now, we'd better check you in."

"Aki-san." Alphonse said, carrying his charge's bag including his own. "I can see your friends."

"AKI!" Izumi shouted, ignoring the people looking at her.

Tanisha smiled seeing everyone there; Yumiko, Izumi, Nami, Hiro, Rin, Mizuki, Takahisa, the whole Seigaku tennis team, Atobe, Yuuta, Sakuno, Seiichi…and of course, Fuji.

"Go on." Akio said. "We'll take care of everything."

"GUYS!" Tanisha ran to her friends. Izumi, Nami, Hiro and Rin were first to greet her.

"Hey Aki. Don't forget my presents." Hiro said, smiling.

Tanisha rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine. Fine. I'll make sure to give you something you aren't going to enjoy."

"I don't mind." Hiro said. "It is your money. Or better yet, when you visit next month, you can bring home some Irish girls." He grinned.

All the girls took turns hitting him on the head.

"Seriously though," Rin smiled at her friend. "Don't forget to call when you can or to e-mail us."

"Of course." Tanisha said. "I'll send pictures."

Nami smiled sadly. "It's just too bad you couldn't have put off leaving until after graduation. You're still a part of it even if you are transferee."

Tanisha smiled back and shook her head. "Nah, it's ok. I'm sure you guys aren't going to forget me. Just make sure you send pictures-"

"Especially of Fuji-senpai? Yeah, we know." Izumi said, giving her a wink. "Here." She handed her senpai a gift-wrapped box. "It's from all four of us. We couldn't decide what to give you, so Rin designed you this awesome dress, I bought the materials, Nami made it and Hiro offered moral support."

"And a thong." Hiro smirked.

Tanisha laughed. "Thanks. I'll wear it the first chance I get, except the thong."

"By the way," Nami said. "Takahisa-kun couldn't come, but he gave you something. It's in the box."

"Thanks."

The four took turns giving her a hug, then Mizuki walked over.

"Hey." Tanisha smiled.

Mizuki shrugged. "Well, considering that I did save your life and all, I really shouldn't have to give you a present…but…here." He gave her a small box the size of her palm.

"What is it?" Tanisha asked, shaking it. She opened it and was surprised to see a silver bullet, strung into a chain like a bracelet. Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me it's…"

Mizuki nodded. "Yeah, it's the bullet that pierced my arm when I held you back that time."

"I can't believe you have this." Tanisha gaped.

"I wanted to frame it and hang it, but I thought I'd give it to you." Mizuki said.

Tanisha smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thanks."

"Hey." Mizuki said in her ear. "I'm a taken man now, so you'd better let go of me before my girl and your guy gets any ideas." Tanisha laughed and let go.

Seiichi was next.

"Here." He handed her a large box carefully.

Tanisha was surprised when she opened the box to reveal a Cocker Spaniel.

"A puppy!" Tanisha said, reaching down and scratching it between the ears. The puppy gave a small bark of delight. "Is it a girl or a boy?"

"A boy." Seiichi said, smiling. "And I already asked your Mom and Dad about it and they said it was alright and he's all checked in and can board the plane."

"You thought of everything." Tanisha smiled. "What's his name?"

Seiichi shook his head. "I'll let you decide on that one."

Tanisha took the puppy out of the box and cradled it to her chest. That's when she noticed a leash inside and strapped it to the puppy's collar just to be sure. The puppy licked her face.

"How about the name Yuuki?" Tanisha asked the puppy. It yipped in delight. "Then Yuuki it is."

"Ma'am?" Reggie appeared carrying a kennel which he got from who knows where. Tanisha gave Yuuki a kiss and placed him there carefully.

Seiichi smiled and hugged the redhead.

"Take care."

"Thanks. You too."

Then Sakuno along with the Seigaku regulars minus Tezuka and Fuji walked over.

Eiji and Momoshiro were on the brink of tears, though Tanisha wasn't sure if it was real or not.

"We'll miss you, Aki-chan." Eiji and Momoshiro said, hugging her at the same time.

"I'll miss your pool parties." Eiji said. "Daigoro will miss you, too."

"I'll miss all your delicious food." Momoshiro said, sniffing. Tanisha smiled, knowing the spiky-haired regular meant well.

"Take care, Aki-chan." Taka-san walked over and bowed politely.

"Thank you. I'll miss your shop, Taka-san."

"Take care, Aki-chan." Oishi said. "Be careful and study hard. Call back once in a while."

Tanisha smiled. "Of course, Oishi-fukubuchou."

"Fsshh. Take care Aki-senpai." Kaidoh stepped up, bowing politely. He looked over at Ryoma and Sakuno.

The two freshmen walked over, the former looking as indifferent as ever and the latter blushing. Sakuno bowed and handed her a bag.

"Here, Aki-senpai." Sakuno said. "It's from all of us."

Ryoma yawned and then said. "Eiji-senpai gave you toothpaste; Oishi-senpai, a first-aid kit; Momochan-senpai, a burger, Taka-san, a box of sushi; Kaidoh-senpai, a bandana; Buchou, a book; Ryuuzaki, a framed picture of the whole team and Yumiko-senpai, a painting she did. Everyone gave something except for Fuji-senpai and Inui-senpai."

"And you." Momo said, as Tanisha smiled and looked inside the bag.

"Meh." Ryoma reached over inside his pocket and tossed a yellow tennis ball inside the bag.

"Echizen/Ochibi!" Eiji and Momo grabbed the freshmen. "What kind of a gift is that?"

"It's ok, guys." Tanisha said. She knew that coming from Ryoma, a tennis ball means more than just a ball. "Thank you Ryoma-kun. I appreciate it."

"Here Aki-chan." Inui appeared and handed Tanisha a thermos, his glasses flashing dangerously. "I know you'll miss my Inui juice, so I made one especially for you."

The other regulars and Sakuno cringed.

"Um…thanks, Inui-san." Tanisha said, taking the drink and handing it along with the bag over to Reggie. "I'll drink it once I'm in the plane."

"Wouldn't you want to drink it now before you board the plane?" Inui asked, whipping out his notebook and getting ready for results.

"You're never going to board that plane if you drink that." Eiji whispered to her.

Tanisha simply shook her head at Inui politely.

Yumiko tapped Inui on the shoulder, and once the regulars and Sakuno have cleared out after each giving her a hug, she, Tezuka and Yuuta walked over.

The younger Fuji handed her a small package, which she tucked into her bag, and gave her a tight hug.

"Take care." He said. "We're all going to miss you, especially you-know-who."

"Yeah well…" Tanisha said, trying to keep back the awful taste in her mouth. "Take care of him for me."

"Will do." Yuuta said, giving her one last hug.

"Take care, Tanisha." Tezuka walked up and gave her a slight bow. The captain allowed the redhead to give him a hug.

Yumiko walked up and enveloped her best friend in a tight hug.

"I am so going to miss you, Aki-chan." Yumiko whispered to her ear.

"I'm going to miss you, too." Tanisha said, blinking her eyes to prevent from tearing up.

"Keep in touch. I love you."

Tanisha hugged her friend tightly. "I love you too. Thank you for everything."

The two separated, both a bit teary-eyed.

An arm wrapped itself around her waist.

"Hey."

Yumiko and the others walked off, giving the two some much-needed space.

Tanisha turned and hugged her boyfriend.

"Hey."

"Take care." Fuji said, kissing her on the forehead. "Call me once you land in Ireland, ok?"

"Of course." Tanisha said, hugging him tightly.

The two stayed in that position for as long as possible.

Fuji held his love tightly, not wanting to let go, but knowing he had to. He looked briefly over her shoulder.

It was like everything was moving in slow motion.

He saw them, in the midst of the slow-moving and oblivious crowd. First was a beautiful woman with long red hair and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a long red dress and she was smiling. Beside her was a girl with dark floor-length hair, light blue eyes, wearing a hoodie and bell bottoms. She smirked at him. Fuji smiled, knowing she was most likely walking around as she usually did barefooted.

The two turned around and with a blink of an eye, they were gone.

And Fuji instantly knew that this was right the thing to do, that he had to let her go.

Atobe approached the two and gave a small cough.

"Tanisha, we have to go." He said, indicating that he, Alphonse and Tanisha had better go.

Tanisha nodded.

"I'd better go." She said, trying not to cry.

"I know." Fuji said. He leaned forward, kissing her on the lips. "I love you." He said.

"I love you too." Tanisha said, smiling. Fuji let go of her. She took a few steps back before walking off.

Atobe walked over to him.

"Take care of her." Fuji said.

Atobe nodded. "Don't worry. Sarina-san asked me to make sure she gets settled in Ireland before I go back home."

"Thank you." Fuji said. The two shook hands.

Fuji and the others watched as Tanisha said a tearful goodbye to her parents. She turned around one last time and gave the group one last smile and wave.

"I'll come and visit soon!" She shouted and left.

Everyone watched as Tanisha boarded the plane with Alphonse, Atobe and Yuuki in tow.

"Hey bro." Yuuta walked over to his older brother.

"Yeah?" Fuji was surprised when Yuuta gave him a small package.

"She couldn't give it to you personally." Yuuta said, and left his brother alone.

Fuji opened it and smiled at the bracelet, decorated with green and blue gemstones. He smiled fondly once he saw the inscription on the band.

'I will come back to you. I promise. I love you.'

He chuckled. In a way, the two of them did think alike.

They watched as the plane made its way and flew off.

**(In the plane…)**

Tanisha cradled Yuuki in her arms and patted his head. Yuuki gave a little whine at seeing his mistress.

"I'm ok, Yuuki." Tanisha said, wiping her wet eyes. "I'm just gonna miss Dad and Mom and…Sho-kun and everyone."

The puppy licked her on the face and jumped up, knocking over her bag.

"Oh Yuuki." Tanisha grabbed her bag and placed her things inside when she noticed something that wasn't there before.

Tanisha reached over and grabbed a red box that she was sure she didn't bring along. Her eyes lit up when she realized _he_ must have slipped it in her bag without her noticing.

She opened it, revealing a necklace. She took it out slowly. It was a silver key dotted with green and blue emeralds and strung on a long silver chain. She looked closer and engraved on the key were the letters "T" and "S" intertwined inside a heart.

"Oh my God." Tanisha gasped, her eyes tearing up. "Oh my God." She noticed the lid of the box and smiled fondly at the inscription.

'You will always have the key to my heart. Take care. I love you.'

Tanisha smiled. In a way, they really did think alike.

Yuuki barked happily as the plane flew on to Ireland, on to more adventures.

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N:** FINALLY!! It's over! OMG! I don't know if I wanna shout in delight or I wanna cry.

The truth is that it has actually been very difficult for me to think of the perfect ending. I revised it time and time again which explains why it took me SO LONG to release the VERY LAST chapter. Even now I'm still a little unsure but I really wouldn't want to have it any other way.

Some of you might feel it a bit corny or irritating that I made Tanisha leave, but I really think it's what's best, rather than making her stay with Fuji. I won't give my exact reasons why I decided on that, but it's really what's best.

I guess now would be the best time to announce that my other postponed story _"It's Our Time"_ will be on official hiatus. I've been checking it out and there is really too much error in the story, so I'm having big trouble with it and where I'm going to pick up the timeline. So I'm sorry to all those who want me to update.

As for my other story, _"Hanging By A Moment"_ it's not going to be postponed or put on hiatus. I just have a bit of a writer's block with it, but I am managing and it'll be updated soon.

I know some people are going to kill me for this, especially as my numbers of unfinished stories are piling up, but I have a new story in the works. This story just came to me when I was typing up this last chapter. There's still no title or a story timeline per se, but there is an actual plot and I've been trying to develop it in-between writing chapters.

Here's a bit of a preview:

"_Sakuno, you will be meeting thirteen very special people. If you managed to help them in one way or another, we will grant you your greatest wish."_

It sounds a bit crappy and all, but I figure that after Ballads, this would be like my biggest and major pet project. But I don't know. Nothing's permanent as of yet.

Anyway, I guess that's it, the final chapter of the series **"Ballads of the Heart"**. I thank all the people who've been there since I started this story and who've been there in all the drama. This wouldn't have been possible without you guys.

Thank you to those who have the story on Favorites and/or Story Alert. Thanks to the people who reviewed, there are too many so I can't really thank all of you one-by-one, but thanks nonetheless. Thank you as well to those who disliked the story and said so. I'll be able to improve that way.

I hope you all would review this last chapter or send me a message and tell me the things you loved and the things you hated about this series so I can make sure I don't make the same mistakes next time. And please, I know about the Mary Sue thing, so you guys don't have to repeat it again and again. That's definitely going to be my biggest hurdle. Wish me luck on that.

All in all, I thank you all so much.

With love and thanks,

Rai

And it ends here...

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